Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 56
श्रीमार्कण्डेय उवाच । धर्मपुत्र महाबाहो शृणु सर्वं मयोदितम् । या सा वैतरणी नाम यमद्वारे महासरित्
śrīmārkaṇḍeya uvāca | dharmaputra mahābāho śṛṇu sarvaṃ mayoditam | yā sā vaitaraṇī nāma yamadvāre mahāsarit
Śrī Mārkaṇḍeya dit : «Ô fils du Dharma, aux bras puissants, écoute tout ce que je vais dire. Le grand fleuve à la porte de Yama se nomme Vaitaraṇī.»
Śrī Mārkaṇḍeya
Tirtha: Vaitaraṇī
Type: river
Listener: Dharmaputra (Yudhiṣṭhira)
Scene: Markandeya begins his reply, addressing Dharmaputra as ‘son of Dharma’ and identifies the great river at Yama’s gate as Vaitaraṇī—setting a solemn, instructional tone.
FAQs
Authoritative transmission of dharma occurs through guru-like narration, where a sage clarifies the unseen consequences of conduct.
The verse identifies an afterlife locus (Yamadvāra) rather than an earthly tīrtha; the surrounding chapter links earthly tīrtha acts to this outcome.
None in this verse; it introduces the explanation and names the river.