Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 12
तस्मान्न क्षतिरस्याथ दत्ते नाम्नि यथा पुरा । नाम्ना माहिकया नाम माहीत्येव च सा भवेत्
tasmānna kṣatirasyātha datte nāmni yathā purā | nāmnā māhikayā nāma māhītyeva ca sā bhavet
അതുകൊണ്ട് മുമ്പുപോലെ തന്നെ നാമം നൽകുന്നതിൽ ഹാനിയില്ല. ‘മാഹികാ’ എന്ന നാമത്താൽ അവൾ തീർച്ചയായും ‘മാഹീ’ എന്ന പേരിൽ പ്രസിദ്ധയാകും.
Brāhmaṇas (contextual ruling on naming)
Tirtha: Māhī (from Māhikā)
Type: kshetra
Scene: Elders conclude there is no harm in bestowing the earlier name; the feminine name Māhikā is affirmed to be known as Māhī.
FAQs
Continuity of sacred naming preserves tradition; names carry sanctifying power and local religious identity.
A Devī identity in the chapter’s sacred locale is being established as Māhī; the exact tīrtha name is not specified in this line.
A nāma-dāna principle: formally bestowing/affirming the shrine’s accepted sacred name.