Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 4
पुरासीत्पार्थिवो ना्ना विख्यातो बलवर्धनः । समुद्रवलयामुर्वीं बुभुजे यो भुजार्जिताम्
purāsītpārthivo nā्nā vikhyāto balavardhanaḥ | samudravalayāmurvīṃ bubhuje yo bhujārjitām
In former times there was a renowned king named Balavardhana, who enjoyed the earth girdled by the ocean—won by the strength of his own arms.
Sūta
Listener: Ṛṣis
Scene: A powerful ancient king Balavardhana in royal attire, holding bow or mace, seated on a lion-throne; behind him a stylized map-like ocean-girdled earth, indicating chakravartin dominion.
FAQs
Purāṇic tīrtha sections often ground sacred merit in exemplary histories, showing how rulers and households connect to holy places.
The verse begins a narrative that will serve the Puṣkara-region tīrtha discussion, but the specific tīrtha is not named in this line.
None; it introduces a historical narrative about a king.