Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 40
शृणु तत्राभवत्पूर्वं यदाश्चर्यं महामते । ऋषिर्मंकणकोनाम सरस्वत्यास्तटे स्थितः
śṛṇu tatrābhavatpūrvaṃ yadāścaryaṃ mahāmate | ṛṣirmaṃkaṇakonāma sarasvatyāstaṭe sthitaḥ
聞け、偉大なる知者よ。かつてその地で起こった不思議を――サラスヴァティー河の岸辺に、マンカナという名の聖仙（リシ）が住していた。
Skanda (deduced)
Tirtha: Sarasvatī-taṭa at Arbuda (Maṅkaṇa-ṛṣi āśrama locus)
Type: ghat
Listener: A great-minded interlocutor (mahāmate)
Scene: On the serene bank of Sarasvatī, ṛṣi Maṅkaṇa sits in austere dwelling (kuṭīra), surrounded by deer and disciples; the narrator invites the listener to hear the forthcoming marvel.
FAQs
Māhātmya teachings often unfold through exemplary stories—wonders near sacred rivers instruct seekers about dharma and inner states.
The Sarasvatī riverbank within the Arbuda region, presented as a setting for a sacred marvel.
None; the verse introduces a narrative episode (ākhyāna) to convey the site’s sanctity.