Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 11
अथ तानब्रवीद्ब्रह्मा शेषाद्यान्नवनायकान् । स्वसंततेः प्ररक्षध्वं भक्ष्यमाणा इमाः प्रजाः
atha tānabravīdbrahmā śeṣādyānnavanāyakān | svasaṃtateḥ prarakṣadhvaṃ bhakṣyamāṇā imāḥ prajāḥ
Alors Brahmā s’adressa à ces neuf chefs, à commencer par Śeṣa : «Réfrénez et protégez votre propre lignée : ces peuples sont en train d’être dévorés !»
Brahmā
Scene: Brahmā, serene yet commanding, addresses nine nāga-chiefs led by Śeṣa—majestic serpents with human-like regal bearing, crowns, and expanded hoods, standing in respectful attention.
FAQs
Authority entails responsibility: leaders must restrain their own factions to protect innocent beings and uphold dharma.
The verse is embedded in a tīrtha-glorifying discourse but does not itself name the tīrtha.
No formal ritual; it is an ethical injunction (ājñā) to protect and restrain harmful progeny.