Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 14
भर्तृयज्ञ उवाच । आथर्वः प्रथमः प्रश्नो यस्मात्प्रोक्तो मया द्विजाः । तदहं संप्रवक्ष्यामि शृणुध्वं सुसमाहिताः
bhartṛyajña uvāca | ātharvaḥ prathamaḥ praśno yasmātprokto mayā dvijāḥ | tadahaṃ saṃpravakṣyāmi śṛṇudhvaṃ susamāhitāḥ
バルトリヤジュニャは言った。「二度生まれし者たちよ、わたしがアタルヴァンを第一の問いと宣言したゆえ、いまその理由を説き明かそう。心をよく整え、揺るがぬ注意をもって聞け。」
Bhartṛyajña
Listener: Brāhmaṇas (dvijāḥ)
Scene: Bhartṛyajña, seated as a preceptor, raises his hand in assurance, inviting the brāhmaṇas to listen attentively as he explains why Atharvan is treated as first in this context.
FAQs
Dharma is transmitted through attentive listening and reasoned explanation, not mere assertion.
The chapter belongs to the Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra-māhātmya setting in Nāgara-khaṇḍa, though this verse is a preface to the explanation.
The prescription here is internal: to listen with concentration (samādhāna) to receive dharmic teaching.