Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 4
स कदाचिन्निशीथेऽथ तृषार्तश्च समुत्थितः । प्रार्थयामास तां वेश्यां पानीयं पातुमुत्सहे
sa kadācinniśīthe'tha tṛṣārtaśca samutthitaḥ | prārthayāmāsa tāṃ veśyāṃ pānīyaṃ pātumutsahe
Un jour, au cœur de la nuit, tourmenté par la soif, il se leva et supplia cette courtisane : «Je veux boire de l’eau.»
Sūta
Scene: A dim midnight chamber; a weary man rises from bedding, clutching his throat in thirst, turning toward a courtesan seated nearby; a small lamp casts long shadows, foreshadowing a mistake.
FAQs
The narrative turns on ordinary vulnerability (thirst) to unfold a larger Purāṇic teaching—how small moments can lead to karmic transformation.
The broader episode is framed as arising from Gaṅgā-māhātmya; this verse itself is a scene-setting moment in the story.
None; it is narrative progression describing the circumstances that lead to the forthcoming religious/moral development.