Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 76
हरिः प्राह महेशानं बिभ्यदावेद्मयहं तव । मातामहं च पितरं प्रयोगं श्रृणु भूधर
hariḥ prāha maheśānaṃ bibhyadāvedmayahaṃ tava | mātāmahaṃ ca pitaraṃ prayogaṃ śrṛṇu bhūdhara
Hari s’adressa à Maheśāna : «Par respect, je te soumets ceci. Ô Bhūdhara (Montagne), écoute la juste procédure : j’agirai comme grand-père maternel, et aussi comme père, pour ordonner le rite.»
Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta), narrating; direct speech by Viṣṇu (Hari)
Listener: Bhūdhara (as addressed in the verse)
Scene: Viṣṇu respectfully addresses Śiva, offering to take on the roles of maternal grandfather and father to ensure the rite proceeds correctly; the assembly watches as ritual protocol is announced.
FAQs
Even the highest gods honor dharma by following proper ritual procedure and family roles.
No single tīrtha is named in this verse; it belongs to the broader vivāha narrative within the Māheśvarakhaṇḍa.
The verse introduces “prayoga”—the correct arrangement of the wedding rite, with Viṣṇu assuming kinship roles to conduct it properly.