Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 3
पुरा कल्पेऽसुरगणैराक्रान्ते भुवनत्रये । वेदोक्तकर्मनाशे च धर्मे च विलयं गते
purā kalpe'suragaṇairākrānte bhuvanatraye | vedoktakarmanāśe ca dharme ca vilayaṃ gate
Dans un kalpa ancien, lorsque des cohortes d’asuras avaient envahi les trois mondes, lorsque les rites prescrits par les Veda étaient détruits, et lorsque le Dharma lui-même sombrait dans le déclin et la dissolution—
Śrī Mārkaṇḍeya (to a king, nṛpaśreṣṭha)
Tirtha: Jāleśvara (contextual)
Type: kshetra
Scene: A triptych-like cosmic scene: asuras overrunning the three worlds; broken sacrificial fires and scattered ritual implements; sages grieving as dharma wanes—setting the stage for Rudra’s fierce response.
FAQs
When Dharma and Vedic practice decline, divine intervention and sacred places become instruments for restoration and protection.
The passage sets the background for a Revā (Narmadā) tīrtha narrative that culminates in the Dhūmāvarta/Kālāgnirudra context.
None in this verse; it establishes the cosmic crisis that later verses address through tīrtha-based rites.