Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 53
शिखण्ड्युवाच । कथ्यतां मे महाभागे साश्चर्यं भाषितं त्वया । पितुर्वाक्येन सा बालोत्तमा ह्यागतान्तिकम्
śikhaṇḍyuvāca | kathyatāṃ me mahābhāge sāścaryaṃ bhāṣitaṃ tvayā | piturvākyena sā bālottamā hyāgatāntikam
Śikhaṇḍī dit : «Ô bienheureuse, explique-moi cette parole merveilleuse que tu as proférée.» À la parole de son père, la jeune fille d’élite s’approcha.
Śikhaṇḍī (king of Kānyakubja)
Listener: A king (nṛpa) addressed in the running narration; immediate addressee is the ‘mahābhāgā’ being questioned
Scene: A respectful interlocutor (Śikhaṇḍī) requests explanation; an ‘excellent maiden’ approaches at her father’s command, signaling the start of a personal testimony tied to a sacred place.
FAQs
When dharma appears puzzling, it should be clarified through truthful explanation rather than haste or suspicion.
Not directly; it prepares for the Hanūmanteśvara revelation that follows.
None; it is a narrative bridge into the explanation of past events.