इतिहासमिमं पूर्वं कथयामि तव प्रिये । यथावृत्तं महादेवि सोमवारव्रतं प्रति
itihāsamimaṃ pūrvaṃ kathayāmi tava priye | yathāvṛttaṃ mahādevi somavāravrataṃ prati
Bien-aimée, je vais maintenant te raconter ce récit ancien, ô grande Déesse, tel qu’il advint, au sujet du vœu du lundi.
Unnamed narrator addressing Mahādevī/Priyā (immediately followed by “Īśvara uvāca”, indicating Śiva as the forthcoming speaker)
Tirtha: Somavāra-vrata (contextual within Prabhāsa-kṣetra māhātmya)
Listener: Mahādevī (Pārvatī)
Scene: Śiva addresses Pārvatī intimately, beginning an ancient narrative about the Monday vow; a calm, anticipatory storytelling moment.
Vratas are grounded in sacred memory (itihāsa); hearing their origin with faith strengthens practice and understanding.
The broader frame is Prabhāsa Kṣetra māhātmya; this verse introduces a legend that supports the sacred authority of Śaiva observances in that landscape.
The Somavāravrata is introduced as the subject of the forthcoming narrative.