Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 2
युधिष्ठिर उवाच । महाभयानां लोकस्य नागानां द्विजसत्तम । कथं जातं भयं तीव्रं येन ते तपसि स्थिताः
yudhiṣṭhira uvāca | mahābhayānāṃ lokasya nāgānāṃ dvijasattama | kathaṃ jātaṃ bhayaṃ tīvraṃ yena te tapasi sthitāḥ
યુધિષ્ઠિરે કહ્યું—હે દ્વિજશ્રેષ્ઠ! લોકને મહાભય કરનાર નાગોને તે ઘોર ભય કેવી રીતે ઉત્પન્ન થયો, જેના કારણે તેઓ તપસ્યામાં દૃઢપણે સ્થિત રહ્યા?
Yudhiṣṭhira
Tirtha: Revā (Narmadā) kṣetra (contextual)
Type: kshetra
Listener: a brāhmaṇa/ṛṣi addressed as dvijasattama
Scene: Yudhiṣṭhira, composed yet intent, questions a venerable brāhmaṇa/ṛṣi about the terrifying fear that compelled the Nāgas to undertake austerities; the setting suggests a riverbank hermitage with subtle nāga symbolism.
FAQs
Inquiry (jijñāsā) into sacred history is presented as the doorway to understanding tīrtha-greatness and dharmic causality.
Nāgatīrtha is the topic of the chapter; this verse begins the question that frames its māhātmya.
Tapas (austerity) is referenced as the Nāgas’ response, though no specific rite is prescribed yet.