Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 5
ऋषय ऊचुः । कथं तत्र पदं जातं विष्णोरव्यक्तजन्मनः । कथं निवेद्यते तत्र सम्यगात्माऽ यनद्वये
ṛṣaya ūcuḥ | kathaṃ tatra padaṃ jātaṃ viṣṇoravyaktajanmanaḥ | kathaṃ nivedyate tatra samyagātmā' yanadvaye
ঋষিসকলে ক’লে: যাঁৰ জন্ম অব্যক্ত সেই বিষ্ণুৰ ‘পদচিহ্ন’ তাত কেনেকৈ উৎপন্ন হ’ল? আৰু উত্তৰায়ণ-দক্ষিণায়ণ এই দুয়ো অয়নত তাত আত্মাক শুদ্ধভাবে কেনেকৈ নিবেদন কৰিব লাগে?
Ṛṣayaḥ (the sages)
Tirtha: Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra (Viṣṇu-pāda)
Type: kshetra
Listener: Sūta (addressed as Sūtaja)
Scene: A circle of sages questions Sūta about a sacred footprint of Viṣṇu and the proper offering during the two ayanas; the footprint is shown as a luminous pāda-cihna on stone within a tīrtha precinct.
FAQs
Sacred places invite inquiry: understanding a tirtha’s origin and the right method of worship deepens faith and practice.
Viṣṇupada-tīrtha, identified with Viṣṇu’s ‘Footprint/Step’.
The verse asks about the correct method of ātma-nivedana during both ayanas; details are expected in the subsequent narration.