Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 8
अज्ञातपितृवंशो यो दूरादपि समागतः । सामान्यं वांछते पद्यं नागरोऽस्मीति कीर्तयन्
ajñātapitṛvaṃśo yo dūrādapi samāgataḥ | sāmānyaṃ vāṃchate padyaṃ nāgaro'smīti kīrtayan
Siapa pun yang datang bahkan dari jauh, dengan garis keturunan ayah yang tidak diketahui, namun menginginkan kedudukan warga yang umum sambil menyatakan, “Aku seorang Nāgara,”—
Bhartṛyajña
Listener: brāhmaṇas / kingly audience (contextual)
Scene: A weary traveler arrives from afar, modest dress, uncertain background; he petitions elders saying ‘I am a Nāgara’; elders deliberate with compassion and caution.
FAQs
In dharma, social identity and privileges are not merely proclaimed; they require purification and verification aligned with righteous order.
The verse is preparatory; the tīrtha context becomes explicit when Gartā-tīrtha is mentioned in the subsequent instruction.
An implied prescription: one who seeks recognized standing must undergo due śuddhi (purificatory validation) rather than relying on self-assertion.