Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 5
तया पृष्टा च सा साध्वी का त्वं कस्य सुता शुभे । किमर्थं तु स्थिता चोग्रे तपसि ब्रूहि मे शुभे
tayā pṛṣṭā ca sā sādhvī kā tvaṃ kasya sutā śubhe | kimarthaṃ tu sthitā cogre tapasi brūhi me śubhe
Questionnée par elle, la femme vertueuse répondit : « Ô toi qui es de bon augure, qui es-tu, fille de qui es-tu ? Et pour quelle raison demeures-tu établie dans cette austérité farouche ? Dis-le-moi, ô bienheureuse dame. »
Arundhatī (implied from immediate narrative context; the questioning ascetic)
Tirtha: Śaṅkhatīrtha (contextual)
Type: tirtha
Scene: A venerable virtuous woman addresses the radiant ascetic with folded hands, asking her name, parentage, and the reason for her fierce austerity; the tīrtha background remains calm and sacred.
FAQs
Dharma begins with humble inquiry—knowing a devotee’s intent and discipline clarifies the purpose of tapas and pilgrimage.
The verse is a narrative preface; the immediate context in this adhyāya leads into the glory of Śaṅkhatīrtha and Śaṅkheśvara.
No explicit ritual is prescribed here; it introduces a discussion about intense tapas (austerity).