Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 21
शिबिकाश्च विचित्रा वै रथाश्चैव सहस्रशः । सर्वत्र दह्यमानं च दृष्ट्वा राजापि विव्यथे
śibikāśca vicitrā vai rathāścaiva sahasraśaḥ | sarvatra dahyamānaṃ ca dṛṣṭvā rājāpi vivyathe
বিচিত্র শিবিকা ও সহস্র সহস্র রথও দগ্ধ হচ্ছিল। সর্বত্র অগ্নিশিখা দেখে রাজাও ব্যথিত ও ভীত হয়ে পড়লেন।
Narrator (contextual Purāṇic narrator; specific speaker not explicit in the snippet)
Scene: A royal camp or city street filled with ornate palanquins and countless chariots engulfed in flames; the king stands stunned, face strained with fear, surrounded by smoke and sparks.
FAQs
Authority cannot shield one from the moral order; when dharma is violated, even kings experience helplessness.
Dharmāraṇya is the overarching sacred setting; the verse itself highlights the dramatic event.
None.