अथ तान्पृथिवीपालः स प्रणम्य यथाक्रमम् । उपविष्टः सभामध्ये तैः सर्वैश्चाभिनंदितः
atha tānpṛthivīpālaḥ sa praṇamya yathākramam | upaviṣṭaḥ sabhāmadhye taiḥ sarvaiścābhinaṃditaḥ
അപ്പോൾ ആ ഭൂപാലൻ അവരെ യഥാക്രമം പ്രണാമം ചെയ്ത് സഭാമദ്ധ്യേ ഇരുന്നു; എല്ലാവരും അദ്ദേഹത്തെ ആദരപൂർവ്വം അഭിനന്ദിച്ചു.
Narratorial voice within Māhātmya (exact speaker not stated in snippet)
Listener: Audience of the Purāṇa; internally, the sabhā members
Scene: A king enters a hall of sages, bows sequentially to each, then sits centrally as the assembly blesses and welcomes him.
Even rulers prosper through humility—honoring the learned and entering sacred assembly with proper conduct.
The episode unfolds at the Mahākāla-associated tīrtha where sages have gathered.
Proper etiquette (yathākramam praṇāma) toward sages—an implied dhārmic observance.