अवन्तीविषये पूर्वं ब्राह्मणो वेदपारगः । चंद्रशर्मेति विख्यातः शिवभक्तः सदा नृप
avantīviṣaye pūrvaṃ brāhmaṇo vedapāragaḥ | caṃdraśarmeti vikhyātaḥ śivabhaktaḥ sadā nṛpa
Autrefois, dans la région d’Avantī, vivait un brāhmaṇa, maître des Veda, connu sous le nom de Candraśarman—toujours dévot de Śiva, ô roi.
Mārkaṇḍeya
Tirtha: Avantī (Ujjayinī)
Type: kshetra
Listener: Rājā (king; unspecified)
Scene: A learned brāhmaṇa in Avanti—Candraśarman—depicted with Vedic manuscripts, sacred thread, and Śiva devotion marks (tripuṇḍra), living a disciplined life.
Purāṇas frame ideal character through learning and devotion: Vedic mastery joined with steadfast Śiva-bhakti.
Avantī is referenced as the narrative origin-point; the broader Māhātmya context continues to point toward Dvārakā’s sacred greatness.
No explicit rite is prescribed; the verse establishes the protagonist’s religious identity (Vedic and Śaiva devotion).