Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 81
ततः प्रोवाच शाकल्यो याज्ञवल्क्यं द्विजोत्तमाः । भूयोऽपि शृण्वतस्तस्य आनर्तस्य महीपतेः
tataḥ provāca śākalyo yājñavalkyaṃ dvijottamāḥ | bhūyo'pi śṛṇvatastasya ānartasya mahīpateḥ
Alors Śākalya, l’excellent brahmane, s’adressa à Yājñavalkya, tandis que le roi d’Ānarta écoutait de nouveau.
Narrator (Purāṇic narrator; reporting Śākalya’s speech)
Tirtha: Ānarta-deśa tīrtha-kathā (contextual frame)
Type: kshetra
Listener: Śaunaka and other ṛṣis at Naimiṣāraṇya (standard frame, implied)
Scene: A learned brāhmaṇa Śākalya addresses sage Yājñavalkya in a courtly setting while the king of Ānarta listens attentively; palm-leaf manuscripts and ritual implements suggest a dharma discourse.
FAQs
Purāṇic dharma emphasizes counsel: the wise guide action through instruction, and rulers benefit by attentive listening to spiritual direction.
The broader chapter is a tīrtha-māhātmya setting; this verse serves as narrative linkage, connecting sacred efficacy to authoritative instruction.
The verse sets up the instruction for a śānti rite by introducing Śākalya’s directive to Yājñavalkya.