Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 7
युधिष्ठिर उवाच । कोऽसौ दुष्टो महादैत्यः कस्मिन्वंशे समुद्भवः । किं किं तेन कृतं तात सर्वंं कथय सुव्रत
yudhiṣṭhira uvāca | ko'sau duṣṭo mahādaityaḥ kasminvaṃśe samudbhavaḥ | kiṃ kiṃ tena kṛtaṃ tāta sarvaṃṃ kathaya suvrata
Yudhiṣṭhira said: “Who is this wicked great Asura? From what lineage did he arise? What deeds, in detail, did he commit? O dear one, O keeper of virtuous vows, tell me everything.”
Yudhiṣṭhira
Listener: Vyāsa (addressed as suvṛta)
Scene: A forest hermitage setting: Yudhiṣṭhira seated respectfully, hands folded, questioning Vyāsa (or a sage) about a fearsome daitya’s lineage and deeds; palm-leaf manuscripts, sacrificial implements, and quiet ascetics in the background.
FAQs
Yudhiṣṭhira is the speaker, and he is addressing a sage (likely Bhīṣma or Vyāsa) using the respectful terms 'Tāta' and 'Suvrata'.
He seeks to know the demon's identity, his family lineage (Vamsha), and the specific wicked deeds (Karma) he performed.
'Suvrata' means 'one of good vows.' It establishes the authority and moral purity of the narrator, ensuring that the history of the demon and the subsequent Mahatmya (glory) of the place is recounted truthfully.