Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 36
ऊचुश्चैव ततो देवा न जानीमो वयं सुराः । ब्रह्मपत्नी तदोवाच विष्णुं प्रति सुरेश्वरम् । त्रयाणामपि देवानां महांतं च वदस्व मे
ūcuścaiva tato devā na jānīmo vayaṃ surāḥ | brahmapatnī tadovāca viṣṇuṃ prati sureśvaram | trayāṇāmapi devānāṃ mahāṃtaṃ ca vadasva me
Lalu para dewa berkata, “Wahai para sura, kami tidak mengetahui.” Maka permaisuri Brahmā pun bersabda kepada Viṣṇu, Penguasa para dewa: “Katakanlah kepadaku—di antara tiga dewa itu, siapakah yang sungguh Mahateragung?”
Devas; then Brahmā’s consort (Sarasvatī) addressing Viṣṇu
Scene: A celestial assembly: devas confess ignorance; Sarasvatī (Brahmā’s consort) turns toward Viṣṇu, asking who is greatest among the three gods; the atmosphere is tense yet luminous.
FAQs
Even the gods can be uncertain; true greatness is known through dharma, humility, and divine discernment rather than debate.
The broader narrative belongs to Dharmāraṇya, where a tīrtha will be manifested through Viṣṇu’s act and austerity.
None explicitly in this verse; it sets up a theological inquiry that later leads to austerity (tapas) and tīrtha-prādurbhāva.