Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 4
ईश्वर उवाच । आसीत्पुरा महावीर्यो दानवो बलदर्पितः । मर्त्ये न तादृशः कश्चिद्विक्रमेण बलेन वा
īśvara uvāca | āsītpurā mahāvīryo dānavo baladarpitaḥ | martye na tādṛśaḥ kaścidvikrameṇa balena vā
ഈശ്വരൻ അരുളിച്ചെയ്തു—പണ്ടുകാലത്ത് ബലഗർവത്തിൽ മദിച്ച ഒരു മഹാവീര ദാനവൻ ഉണ്ടായിരുന്നു. മർത്ത്യരിൽ പരാക്രമത്താലോ ശക്തിയാലോ അവനോടു തുല്യൻ ആരുമില്ലായിരുന്നു।
Īśvara (Śiva)
Tirtha: Śūlabheda (contextual; not named in this verse)
Listener: Uttānapāda
Scene: Śiva begins the tale: a formidable daṇava, radiating brute strength and arrogance, looming as a threat; the atmosphere shifts from inquiry to impending conflict.
FAQs
Worldly strength and heroic power easily become pride; Purāṇic narratives begin by exposing this danger so that dharma and devotion can be restored.
The verse sets up the backstory for Śūlabheda-tīrtha; the tīrtha itself is not yet described here.
None; the verse introduces the character whose actions will lead to the tīrtha’s manifestation and its later religious practices.