Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 2
सांप्रतं वद कामस्य यथा कुष्ठोऽभवत्पुरा । येन दोषेण शापश्च केन तस्य नियोजितः
sāṃprataṃ vada kāmasya yathā kuṣṭho'bhavatpurā | yena doṣeṇa śāpaśca kena tasya niyojitaḥ
À présent, parle-nous de Kāma : comment, jadis, il en vint à souffrir de la lèpre—par quelle faute, et par qui cette malédiction lui fut-elle imposée ?
Ṛṣis (Sages)
Type: kshetra
Listener: Ṛṣis/śaunakādayaḥ (assembly of sages; implied)
Scene: A circle of sages requests Sūta to narrate the origin of Kāma’s leprosy—an anticipatory moment before the curse-story unfolds.
FAQs
Purāṇic dharma frames suffering as having moral and causal roots (doṣa/śāpa), inviting reflection, restraint, and remedial sacred practice.
The verse introduces a legend that typically culminates in the glorification of a specific kṣetra/tīrtha where affliction is relieved; the immediate site is within the Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya stream.
None here; it is an inquiry preparing for the narrative of cause and remedy.