Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 7
सूत उवाच । अनावृष्टिः पुरा जाता लोके द्वादशवार्षिकी । सर्वोषधिक्षयो जातस्ततो लोकाः क्षयार्दिताः
sūta uvāca | anāvṛṣṭiḥ purā jātā loke dvādaśavārṣikī | sarvoṣadhikṣayo jātastato lokāḥ kṣayārditāḥ
Sūta berkata: “Dahulu kala, di dunia terjadi kemarau selama dua belas tahun. Segala tumbuhan obat dan tanaman pangan pun habis; karena itu manusia dilanda kehancuran dan kemerosotan.”
Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa / sūta-narrator)
Listener: Ṛṣayaḥ
Scene: Parched earth with cracked ground, withered fields, empty waterpots; people and animals weakened; the sky cloudless—an atmosphere of prolonged drought.
FAQs
Cosmic and social crises are framed as catalysts for dhārmic turning—leading beings toward sacred refuges and restorative rites.
The drought is the narrative prelude to the Saptarṣi-tīrtha’s significance described in this chapter.
None directly; it sets the historical-causal background for the tīrtha’s later glorification and practices.