Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 95
व्रतबंध कुरुष्वास्य सांप्रतं चाष्टवार्षिकः । नात्र दोषोस्ति विप्रेंद्र न भगिन्यास्तथा तव । तस्माद्गृहाण पुत्रं स्वं भागिनेयं विशेषतः
vratabaṃdha kuruṣvāsya sāṃprataṃ cāṣṭavārṣikaḥ | nātra doṣosti vipreṃdra na bhaginyāstathā tava | tasmādgṛhāṇa putraṃ svaṃ bhāgineyaṃ viśeṣataḥ
‘आता याचा व्रतबंध (उपनयन) कर; हा आठ वर्षांचा आहे. हे विप्रेंद्र, यात दोष नाही—ना तुझा, ना तुझ्या भगिनीचा. म्हणून याला आपल्या पुत्रासारखे, विशेषतः भागिनेय म्हणून स्वीकार.’
Nārada (advising Yājñavalkya)
Tirtha: Camatkārapura
Type: kshetra
Scene: Nārada urges Yājñavalkya to perform the boy’s upanayana now at age eight and to accept him as son/nephew; the scene is a solemn dharmic instruction in an āśrama.
FAQs
Initiatory rites and family responsibility are part of brāhmaṇa-dharma; one should protect and educate dependents without blame.
The instruction occurs within the Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra māhātmya narrative framework of the Nāgarakhaṇḍa.
Vrata-bandha (initiation, commonly associated with upanayana) is prescribed at the proper age (eight years).