Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 18
कः सन्तापः क उद्वेगः किं दुःखं व्याधिरेव च । शिशुः संदृश्यसेऽद्यापि कारणं कथ्यतामिदम्
kaḥ santāpaḥ ka udvegaḥ kiṃ duḥkhaṃ vyādhireva ca | śiśuḥ saṃdṛśyase'dyāpi kāraṇaṃ kathyatāmidam
ഇത് എന്തു സന്താപം, എന്തു ഉദ്വേഗം? ഏതു ദുഃഖമോ രോഗമോ നിന്നെ പീഡിപ്പിക്കുന്നു? നീ ഇന്നും ബാലനുപോലെ തന്നെയുണ്ട്; ഇതിന്റെ കാരണം പറയുക.
Bhānumatī
Scene: A queen or noble lady gently questions a youthful-looking forest-dweller (Śabara) who appears troubled; the setting suggests a riverbank tīrtha with trees, steps, and pilgrims in the distance.
FAQs
Dharma begins with attentive inquiry—understanding suffering before prescribing a spiritual remedy.
The conversation is framed within the Śūlabheda tīrtha region of the Revā Khaṇḍa.
None; the verse prepares for teaching by eliciting the cause of the crisis.