Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 5
श्रीमार्कण्डेय उवाच । शृणु राजन्यथावृत्तपुरा त्रेतायुगे क्षितौ । लोकपालोपमो राजा देवपन्नो महामतिः
śrīmārkaṇḍeya uvāca | śṛṇu rājanyathāvṛttapurā tretāyuge kṣitau | lokapālopamo rājā devapanno mahāmatiḥ
ശ്രീ മാർക്കണ്ഡേയൻ പറഞ്ഞു—ഹേ രാജാവേ! കേൾക്കുക; പണ്ടുകാലത്ത് ഭൂമിയിൽ ത്രേതായുഗത്തിൽ സംഭവിച്ചതിനെ. ലോകപാലനെപ്പോലെ മഹാമതിയായ രാജാവ് ദേവപന്നൻ ഉണ്ടായിരുന്നു.
Śrī Mārkaṇḍeya
Tirtha: Māṇḍavya-tīrtha (narrative to follow)
Type: kshetra
Listener: Yudhiṣṭhira
Scene: Mārkaṇḍeya, serene and authoritative, begins an ancient tale; the scene subtly transitions from the present assembly to a visionary tableau of Tretāyuga—an ideal king Devapanna appears like a lokapāla.
FAQs
Tīrtha-māhātmya is often taught through ancient exemplars; righteous kingship and sacred history together establish dharma in the world.
The tīrtha is part of the Revā Khaṇḍa narrative; this verse begins the backstory (Devapanna in Tretāyuga) that will explain its glory.
None; it introduces the historical account.