Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 24
यत्त्वं पृच्छसि भो भद्र कञ्चित्पृच्छ चिरायुषम् । इन्द्रद्युम्न उवाच । कः संप्रति धरापृष्ठे चिरायुः प्रथितो जनाः
yattvaṃ pṛcchasi bho bhadra kañcitpṛccha cirāyuṣam | indradyumna uvāca | kaḥ saṃprati dharāpṛṣṭhe cirāyuḥ prathito janāḥ
Mereka berkata: “Wahai tuan yang mulia, jika engkau menanyakan hal ini, bertanyalah kepada seseorang yang termasyhur karena panjang umur.” Indradyumna berkata: “Siapakah kini di muka bumi yang masyhur di kalangan manusia sebagai ‘yang panjang usia’?”
Narrator and Indradyumna (direct speech)
Scene: A respectful townsman advises the king to consult a long-lived, renowned person; the king responds with a focused question about who that ‘cirāyu’ is. The scene is conversational, with gestures of direction toward the forest.
FAQs
When worldly records fail, one must seek living dharmic testimony—sages who preserve memory through spiritual attainment.
No tīrtha is glorified in this verse; it introduces the search for a long-lived sage.
None.