Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 8
सूत उवाच । आसीद्विदूरथोनाम हैहयाधिपतिः पुरा । यो वै दानपतिर्दक्षः शत्रुपक्षक्षयावहः
sūta uvāca | āsīdvidūrathonāma haihayādhipatiḥ purā | yo vai dānapatirdakṣaḥ śatrupakṣakṣayāvahaḥ
സൂതൻ പറഞ്ഞു—പുരാതനകാലത്ത് ഹൈഹയരുടെ അധിപനായ ‘വിദൂരഥ’ എന്ന രാജാവുണ്ടായിരുന്നു. അവൻ ദാനാധിപതി, നിപുണൻ, ശത്രുപക്ഷത്തെ നശിപ്പിക്കുന്നവൻ ആയിരുന്നു.
Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa)
Listener: Brāhmaṇas/ṛṣis
Scene: A Haihaya king named Vidūratha in royal court or on battlefield: one hand bestowing gifts, the other holding weapons; enemies routed, while brāhmaṇas bless him—setting the stage for a tīrtha legend.
FAQs
Ideal kingship balances dāna (generosity) with kṣātra-dharma (protection and valor), setting the stage for tīrtha-linked merit.
The verse initiates the legend that will support the Gayāśīrṣa/Camatkārapura-kṣetra māhātmya; the specific tīrtha is developed in subsequent verses.
No ritual; dāna is praised as a royal virtue (dānapati) rather than prescribed as a specific act here.