Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 48
अथ काले तु संप्राप्ते चिन्तयित्वा प्रभातिकम् । प्रभातसमये प्राप्ते स शैवः प्रस्थितस्तदा । दुःशीलेन समायुक्तः संप्रहृष्टतनूरुहः
atha kāle tu saṃprāpte cintayitvā prabhātikam | prabhātasamaye prāpte sa śaivaḥ prasthitastadā | duḥśīlena samāyuktaḥ saṃprahṛṣṭatanūruhaḥ
Als die bestimmte Zeit gekommen war, nachdem er die morgendlichen Vorbereitungen getroffen hatte, brach jener Śaiva bei Tagesanbruch auf—begleitet von Duḥśīla—und vor freudiger Erregung standen ihm die Haare zu Berge.
Sūta (narrative continuation; explicit only at shloka 46 but maintained here by context)
Type: kshetra
Scene: At the appointed time, after morning preparations, at daybreak a Śaiva devotee sets out, thrilled with goosebumps; beside him is Duḥśīla, a companion marked by bad conduct—creating contrast between inner devotion and risky association.
FAQs
Pilgrimage and sacred duty are framed as disciplines begun at dawn, with inner fervor directed toward dharma.
Not named yet; the narrative is moving toward a famed sacred river (Murala) described next.
Implicit ‘prabhātika’ conduct—morning observances before travel—without specifying a particular rite.