Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 22
तं दृष्ट्वा पार्थिवः सोऽथ विस्मयोत्फुल्ललोचनः । पश्चात्तापं विधायाथ वाक्यमेतदुवाच ह
taṃ dṛṣṭvā pārthivaḥ so'tha vismayotphullalocanaḥ | paścāttāpaṃ vidhāyātha vākyametaduvāca ha
À cette vue, le roi—les yeux écarquillés d’émerveillement—fut saisi de repentir; puis il prononça ces paroles.
Narrator (contextual narration within the Purāṇic dialogue)
Type: kshetra
Scene: A king stands before the transformed pillar, eyes wide and moist with realization; his posture shifts from authority to humility as he prepares to speak to the sage.
FAQs
True dharma begins with inner transformation—wonder and remorse soften pride and prepare one for righteous action.
The verse sits within the Tīrthamāhātmya framework of the Nāgarakhaṇḍa, but this specific line does not name a distinct tīrtha.
No direct prescription here; it introduces a turning-point leading into a request connected with abhiṣeka in the subsequent verses.