Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 17
ततो गत्वा च साऽश्वत्थं विजने सुमहत्तरम् । तस्याधस्ताद्विमुच्याथ वाक्यमेतदुवाच ह
tato gatvā ca sā'śvatthaṃ vijane sumahattaram | tasyādhastādvimucyātha vākyametaduvāca ha
Puis elle se rendit auprès d’un très grand Aśvattha (figuier sacré) dressé en un lieu solitaire. L’ayant déposé à son pied, elle prononça ces paroles.
Narrator (Purāṇic voice)
Tirtha: Aśvattha-sthāna (unnamed)
Type: kund
Scene: In a deserted grove stands an immense sacred fig with spreading roots and canopy; the woman gently places the infant beneath it, preparing to speak a prayer.
FAQs
Seeking refuge in a sanctified locus (like the Aśvattha) reflects Purāṇic dharma: sacred nature becomes a shelter when approached with faith.
The immediate focus is the sanctity of the Aśvattha within the Nāgarakhaṇḍa’s tīrtha-context; the verse highlights a sacred spot marked by the tree rather than naming a city here.
No explicit rite is prescribed in this verse; it narrates placing the child beneath the sacred tree as an act of refuge.