Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 53
उपविष्टाश्च ते सर्वे अमृतार्थं च भो द्विजाः । तेषूपविश्यमानेषु ह्युवाच परमं वचः । मोहिनी सर्वधर्म्मज्ञा असुराणां स्मयन्निव
upaviṣṭāśca te sarve amṛtārthaṃ ca bho dvijāḥ | teṣūpaviśyamāneṣu hyuvāca paramaṃ vacaḥ | mohinī sarvadharmmajñā asurāṇāṃ smayanniva
Ô brāhmaṇas, tous s’assirent, désirant l’amṛta, le nectar d’immortalité. Et tandis qu’ils prenaient place, Mohinī—qui connaît tout dharma—prononça une parole suprême, comme en souriant aux asuras.
Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) narrating
Listener: Brāhmaṇas/Ṛṣis (explicitly addressed: 'भो द्विजाः')
Scene: Devas and asuras sit in rows, eyes fixed on amṛta; Mohinī, smiling subtly, prepares to speak—her expression carrying both compassion for devas and irony toward asuras.
FAQs
Divine wisdom (dharma-jñāna) guides outcomes even amid conflict; appearances can conceal higher purpose.
The broader setting is Kedāra (Kedārakhaṇḍa), though this verse focuses on the amṛta episode rather than a specific tīrtha act.
No direct ritual is prescribed here; it introduces Mohinī’s dharmic speech before distributing amṛta.