Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 13
आर्यावर्ते नृपः कश्चिदासीद्धर्मभृतां वरः । चित्रवर्मेति विख्यातो धर्मराजो दुरात्मनाम्
āryāvarte nṛpaḥ kaścidāsīddharmabhṛtāṃ varaḥ | citravarmeti vikhyāto dharmarājo durātmanām
ആര്യാവർത്തത്തിൽ ഒരു രാജാവുണ്ടായിരുന്നു, ധർമ്മധാരികളിൽ ശ്രേഷ്ഠൻ; ‘ചിത്രവർമ്മ’ എന്ന പേരിൽ പ്രസിദ്ധൻ, ദുഷ്ടർക്കു ധർമ്മരാജനെപ്പോലെ ആയിരുന്നു.
Unknown (narrative voice within Brahmottarakhaṇḍa; likely the main narrator)
Tirtha: Āryāvarta (as dharma-bhūmi, not a single tīrtha)
Type: kshetra
Scene: A righteous king, Citravarman, seated in court with ministers and sages; banners and royal parasol; the land of Āryāvarta suggested by river plains and distant Himalaya silhouettes; the king’s gaze is firm yet compassionate.
FAQs
A ruler’s greatness is measured by steadfast protection of dharma and firm justice toward wrongdoing.
No specific tīrtha is mentioned; the verse establishes the geographic-cultural setting of Āryāvarta.
None explicitly; it introduces a dharmic king as the narrative foundation.