Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 169
तच्छ्रुत्वा च बलिः प्राह शंडामर्क्कौ च बुद्धिमान् । ब्राह्मणाः कतिसंख्याश्च आगताः संति ईक्ष्यताम्
tacchrutvā ca baliḥ prāha śaṃḍāmarkkau ca buddhimān | brāhmaṇāḥ katisaṃkhyāśca āgatāḥ saṃti īkṣyatām
À ces mots, le sage Bali dit à Śaṇḍa et à Marka : «Allez voir : combien de brāhmanes sont arrivés ?»
Narrator (Sūta/Lomaharṣaṇa, Mahēśvarakhaṇḍa convention)
Listener: Kedāra-mahātmya audience
Scene: Bali, composed and authoritative, turns to his advisors Śaṇḍa and Marka, instructing them to assess the arriving brāhmaṇas; the pavilion hums with ritual activity.
FAQs
A righteous ruler remains alert to the arrival of guests—especially Brāhmaṇas—because honoring them is a core duty (atithi-dharma) that supports merit (puṇya).
The setting is Kedāra within the Kedārakhaṇḍa, where sacred encounters heighten the place’s māhātmya.
No explicit rite is stated here; the verse prepares for guest-reception and worshipful hospitality.