अहमासं पुरा शूद्रो दरिद्रोऽतीवभूतले । भ्रमामि वसुधापृष्ठे ह्यशनपीडितो भृशम्
ahamāsaṃ purā śūdro daridro'tīvabhūtale | bhramāmi vasudhāpṛṣṭhe hyaśanapīḍito bhṛśam
«Autrefois, j’étais un Śūdra, extrêmement pauvre sur la terre. J’errais sur la face du monde, cruellement tourmenté par la faim.»
Lomaśa
Listener: Bhūpa (king)
Scene: A starving, rag-clad wanderer traverses dusty roads and open fields, clutching his throat in hunger; distant temple silhouettes hint at impending encounter with a liṅga.
Purāṇic narratives often show that spiritual elevation can arise from hardship when one turns toward dharma and devotion.
No site is named yet; the verse sets the background for a forthcoming sacred encounter.
None in this verse; it is autobiographical context for the merit-story.