Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 3
अतीते तु पुरा कल्पे यथेयं वर्ततेऽनघ । अस्यान्त्यस्य च कल्पस्य व्यवस्थां कथय प्रभो । एवमुक्तः सभामध्ये मार्कण्डो वाक्यमब्रवीत्
atīte tu purā kalpe yatheyaṃ vartate'nagha | asyāntyasya ca kalpasya vyavasthāṃ kathaya prabho | evamuktaḥ sabhāmadhye mārkaṇḍo vākyamabravīt
Pada kalpa purba yang telah berlalu, sebagaimana adanya kini, wahai yang suci tanpa noda—jelaskanlah juga ketetapan dan susunan kalpa terakhir ini, wahai Prabhu. Setelah disapa di tengah persidangan, Mārkaṇḍa pun mengucapkan kata-kata ini.
Narrative transition (Yudhiṣṭhira’s request; then Mārkaṇḍeya is introduced as respondent)
Listener: Ṛṣi-assembly (sabhā) / interlocutor addressing ‘anagha’
Scene: A sage-assembly (sabhā) where a questioner requests the ordinance of the present ‘final’ kalpa; Mārkaṇḍeya prepares to speak, seated among ṛṣis.
FAQs
Purāṇic wisdom is transmitted through disciplined dialogue and lineage; cosmic time is treated as an ordered ‘vyavasthā’ to be understood, not feared.
No specific tīrtha is named; the verse functions as a narrative bridge introducing Mārkaṇḍeya’s teaching within the Revā Khaṇḍa.
None; it introduces the forthcoming exposition by Mārkaṇḍeya.