Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 30
ऋचीक उवाच । ब्रूहि पार्थिवशार्दूल कन्याशुल्कं मम द्रुतम् । येन यच्छामि ते सर्वं यद्यपि स्यात्सुदुर्लभम्
ṛcīka uvāca | brūhi pārthivaśārdūla kanyāśulkaṃ mama drutam | yena yacchāmi te sarvaṃ yadyapi syātsudurlabham
ഋചീകൻ പറഞ്ഞു—ഹേ പാർത്ഥിവശാർദൂലാ! കന്യാശുല്കം എനിക്ക് വേഗം പറയുക; അതിനാൽ അത്യന്തം ദുർലഭമായാലും ഞാൻ നിനക്കു എല്ലാം നൽകാം.
Ṛcīka
Listener: Gādhi
Scene: Ṛcīka speaks with urgency and humility, palms slightly open in request; the king is addressed with honorific ‘pārthivaśārdūla’; the court pauses as the sage’s vow-like determination becomes palpable.
FAQs
Determined dharmic intent—when a vow is righteous, one commits to fulfill it even if the means are difficult.
The narrative leads into the origin of Aśvatīrtha near Kānyakubja on the Gaṅgā, later praised for its merit.
None directly; the verse sets up a dharmic negotiation that will culminate in mantra-japa and a tīrtha’s manifestation.