Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 23
ययौ गाधिगृहं शीघ्रं कामबाणप्रपीडितः । तं दृष्ट्वा सहसा प्राप्तमृचीकं भृगु सत्तमम् । संमुखः प्रययौ तूर्णं गाधिः पार्थिवसत्तमः
yayau gādhigṛhaṃ śīghraṃ kāmabāṇaprapīḍitaḥ | taṃ dṛṣṭvā sahasā prāptamṛcīkaṃ bhṛgu sattamam | saṃmukhaḥ prayayau tūrṇaṃ gādhiḥ pārthivasattamaḥ
إذ أصابته سهامُ الشهوة، مضى مسرعًا إلى دارِ الملكِ غادهي. فلمّا رأى غادهي وصولَ رِتشيكا—أشرفَ آلِ بهريغو—فجأةً، أسرع الملكُ، خيرُ الملوك، إلى استقباله وجهًا لوجه.
Deductive/Contextual Narration (Purāṇic narrator; likely Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa in Nāgara-khaṇḍa narration)
Scene: Ṛcīka, radiant yet austere, strides swiftly toward the king’s palace, visibly ‘pierced by desire’ yet composed. King Gādhi, crowned and dignified, steps forward quickly from the doorway with folded hands, welcoming the sage face-to-face.
FAQs
Even amid personal impulses, dharma requires prompt honor to a holy guest—hospitality and reverence safeguard righteousness.
The broader chapter belongs to Tīrthamāhātmya (praise of sacred place), but this verse functions as narrative framing; the tīrtha name is not explicit in the line.
Implicit atithi-satkāra (receiving and honoring a brāhmaṇa guest), elaborated in the following verse.