Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 2
सृगालवानरौ पूर्वमास्तां जातिस्मरावुभौ । पुरापि मानुषे भावे सखायौ तौ बभूवतुः
sṛgālavānarau pūrvamāstāṃ jātismarāvubhau | purāpi mānuṣe bhāve sakhāyau tau babhūvatuḥ
Dahulu kala, seekor jakal dan seekor kera hidup—keduanya mengingat kelahiran-kelahiran lampau. Bahkan sebelumnya, ketika berwujud manusia, mereka berdua adalah sahabat.
Sūta (continuing narration)
Tirtha: Dhanuskoṭi/Setu region (contextual)
Type: kshetra
Listener: Ṛṣis / brāhmaṇas in assembly
Scene: A jackal and a monkey sit facing each other near a coastal grove, their eyes conveying recognition beyond animal life; a faint overlay shows their former human friendship as a translucent vignette.
FAQs
The continuity of karma and relationships across births is highlighted, preparing the listener for moral instruction through narrative.
The verse sets the story’s characters; the adhyāya’s stated focus remains Dhanuskoṭi.
None; it establishes the itihāsa background (jātismara and prior friendship).