Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 9
अवश्यं मानुषेणात्र पशूनां रक्षणाय च । आगंतव्यं कुतोऽप्याशु तस्मात्तिष्ठामि निर्भयः
avaśyaṃ mānuṣeṇātra paśūnāṃ rakṣaṇāya ca | āgaṃtavyaṃ kuto'pyāśu tasmāttiṣṭhāmi nirbhayaḥ
Assurément, pour la protection de ces bêtes, quelque homme viendra ici promptement de quelque part ; c’est pourquoi je demeurerai ici sans crainte.
Sūta (deduced; reporting the pilgrim’s thought)
Type: kshetra
Scene: The protagonist stands or sits upright beside the animals, gripping a staff, eyes steady, as if taking a vow to remain; the forest recedes into darkness.
FAQs
Fearlessness is dharma-based: one becomes steady when acting for protection (rakṣaṇa) rather than self-interest.
Ajāgṛha, portrayed as a place where protection and refuge are central themes.
No ritual is stated; the emphasis is on rakṣaṇa-dharma—staying to ensure safety.