Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 8
ऋषय ऊचुः । शिवरात्रिर्महाभाग कस्मिन्काले तु सा भवेत् । विध्यानं चैव माहात्म्यं सर्वं नो विस्तराद्वद
ṛṣaya ūcuḥ | śivarātrirmahābhāga kasminkāle tu sā bhavet | vidhyānaṃ caiva māhātmyaṃ sarvaṃ no vistarādvada
ഋഷിമാർ പറഞ്ഞു—ഹേ മഹാഭാഗ! ശിവരാത്രി ഏത് കാലത്താണ് വരുന്നത്? അതിന്റെ വിധിയും മഹാത്മ്യവും—എല്ലാം ഞങ്ങൾക്ക് വിശദമായി പറയുക।
Ṛṣis (sages)
Listener: Sūta (to answer)
Scene: A circle of sages respectfully questioning the narrator about Śivarātri—hands folded, earnest faces; a subtle night-sky motif foreshadows the vrata night.
FAQs
Dharma is to be learned through inquiry: asking about correct timing (kāla), method (vidhi), and meaning (māhātmya) safeguards authentic practice.
The question arises within the Maṃkaṇeśvara-centered tīrtha narrative of Adhyāya 266.
A request for the full Śivarātri vidhi (procedure) and māhātmya; the prescriptions are answered in subsequent verses.