स्कंद उवाच । अयमेव हि वै प्रश्नो देव्यै देवेन भोस्तदा । यादृशः कथितो वच्मि तादृशं शृणु कुंभज
skaṃda uvāca | ayameva hi vai praśno devyai devena bhostadā | yādṛśaḥ kathito vacmi tādṛśaṃ śṛṇu kuṃbhaja
Skanda bersabda: Pertanyaan inilah dahulu pernah diajukan Sang Dewi kepada Sang Dewa. Aku akan menuturkannya persis sebagaimana dahulu diucapkan—dengarkanlah, wahai Kumbhaja (Agastya).
Skanda
Listener: Agastya (Kumbhaja)
Scene: Skanda begins his reply, explicitly citing an earlier moment when Devī questioned Śiva; Agastya sits attentive, indicating a sage-to-sage transmission of a divine conversation.
Purāṇic knowledge is transmitted through revered dialogue-lineages; teachings on Kāśī’s sacred sites are presented as Śiva’s own instruction.
The context is Kāśī/Ānandakānana, introduced through the authority of a prior Śiva–Devī conversation.
None; it establishes the authenticity and continuity of the teaching.