Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 95
व्रतबंध कुरुष्वास्य सांप्रतं चाष्टवार्षिकः । नात्र दोषोस्ति विप्रेंद्र न भगिन्यास्तथा तव । तस्माद्गृहाण पुत्रं स्वं भागिनेयं विशेषतः
vratabaṃdha kuruṣvāsya sāṃprataṃ cāṣṭavārṣikaḥ | nātra doṣosti vipreṃdra na bhaginyāstathā tava | tasmādgṛhāṇa putraṃ svaṃ bhāgineyaṃ viśeṣataḥ
«Accomplis dès maintenant pour lui le rite d’initiation (vrata-bandha), car il a huit ans. Il n’y a ici aucune faute, ô le meilleur des brāhmaṇa : ni de ta part, ni de celle de ta sœur. C’est pourquoi reçois-le comme ton propre fils, oui, tout particulièrement comme ton neveu.»
Nārada (advising Yājñavalkya)
FAQs
Initiatory rites and family responsibility are part of brāhmaṇa-dharma; one should protect and educate dependents without blame.
The instruction occurs within the Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra māhātmya narrative framework of the Nāgarakhaṇḍa.
Vrata-bandha (initiation, commonly associated with upanayana) is prescribed at the proper age (eight years).