ईश्वर उवाच । आसीत्पूर्वं द्विजो देवि नाम्ना ख्यातः शमीमुखः । गार्हस्थ्ये वर्तमानस्य तस्य पुत्रो व्यजायत । वैशाख इति नाम्नाऽसौ रौद्रकर्मा व्यजायत
īśvara uvāca | āsītpūrvaṃ dvijo devi nāmnā khyātaḥ śamīmukhaḥ | gārhasthye vartamānasya tasya putro vyajāyata | vaiśākha iti nāmnā'sau raudrakarmā vyajāyata
Īśvara bersabda: Dahulu, wahai Dewī, ada seorang dvija (brāhmaṇa) terkenal bernama Śamīmukha. Ketika ia menjalani hidup berumah tangga, lahirlah seorang putra baginya. Ia dinamai Vaiśākha, dan tumbuh dengan kecenderungan pada perbuatan yang keras.
Īśvara (Śiva)
Listener: Mahādevī
Scene: Śiva begins the tale: a respected brāhmaṇa Śamīmukha in household life; the birth of his son Vaiśākha, whose demeanor foreshadows fierce actions—setting a somber tone before eventual redemption.
Purāṇic narratives trace moral causality—birth, upbringing, and tendencies—preparing the ground for later transformation.
The broader Prabhāsakṣetra Māhātmya context; the story explains why Śūlasthāna becomes famed through Vālmīki.
None; this verse supplies genealogical and character background for the tīrtha-kathā.