Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 203
ततस्तु कौतुकाविष्टस्तं पप्रच्छ द्विजोत्तमम् । कर्मणा केन संप्राप्तमायुष्यं चेदृशं वद
tatastu kautukāviṣṭastaṃ papraccha dvijottamam | karmaṇā kena saṃprāptamāyuṣyaṃ cedṛśaṃ vada
Dann, von Neugier ergriffen, fragte er den Besten der Zweimalgeborenen: „Durch welche Tat hast du eine solche Lebensspanne erlangt? Sage es mir.“
Narrator (contextual third-person; the questioning brāhmaṇa is referenced)
Scene: A king, now alert and inquisitive, leans forward with folded hands, questioning a venerable brahmin/sage; the atmosphere shifts from despair to attentive listening.
FAQs
Curiosity is directed toward dharma: longevity and fortune are framed as results of karma, prompting inquiry into righteous causes.
The verse functions as a narrative hinge within Tīrthamāhātmya; the specific site is elaborated in the following verses of the same adhyāya.
No explicit rite is prescribed here; it introduces a question about the karmic cause behind merit and long life.