Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 20
श्रीभगवानुवाच । किमर्थमिह संप्राप्ताः सर्वे देवगणा भुवि । किमेतत्कारणं देवाः कि नु दैत्यप्रपीडिताः
śrībhagavānuvāca | kimarthamiha saṃprāptāḥ sarve devagaṇā bhuvi | kimetatkāraṇaṃ devāḥ ki nu daityaprapīḍitāḥ
Sang Bhagavān bersabda: “Mengapa semua rombongan dewa datang ke sini di bumi? Wahai para Deva, apakah sebabnya ini—apakah kalian disakiti dan ditindas oleh para Dānava (Daitya)?”
Śrī Bhagavān (the Lord)
Listener: Sages; internal narrative: the Lord speaks to the assembled devas
Scene: The Lord, radiant and composed, addresses the assembled devas with a questioning gesture; devas appear weary or anxious, hinting at daitya oppression; in the background, shadowy silhouettes of daityas or a darkened horizon suggests looming threat.
FAQs
When dharma is disturbed and the righteous are afflicted, the divine inquiry and response initiate restoration—reminding devotees that cosmic order is protected and re-established.
This verse functions as a narrative pivot within the Dharmāraṇya section; the specific tīrtha praise is not stated in this single shloka but is typically developed in the surrounding Dharmāraṇya Mahātmya context.
No direct ritual (snāna, dāna, vrata, or japa) is prescribed in this verse; it is a question establishing the cause for the Devas’ arrival.