Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 7
कूर्म उवाच । इन्द्रद्युम्नोऽयमवनीपतिः सत्रिजनाग्रणीः । कीर्तिलोपान्निरस्तोऽयं वेधसा नाकपृष्ठतः
kūrma uvāca | indradyumno'yamavanīpatiḥ satrijanāgraṇīḥ | kīrtilopānnirasto'yaṃ vedhasā nākapṛṣṭhataḥ
Kura-kura berkata: “Inilah Raja Indradyumna, pemerintah bumi, pemimpin terunggul di kalangan manusia. Kerana kemasyhurannya merosot, Sang Pencipta Brahmā (Vedhas) telah menjatuhkannya dari puncak syurga.”
Kūrma
Listener: assembly/host (implied) and the addressed interlocutor within the narrative
Scene: Kūrma (the Tortoise sage/being) identifies King Indradyumna and narrates his fall from heaven due to diminished fame; the king appears humbled, earthbound, seeking remedy.
FAQs
Even heavenly status is unstable when merit and righteous renown decline; dharma must be renewed to regain upliftment.
No specific tīrtha is named in this verse; it introduces Indradyumna’s condition and the cause of his fall.
No explicit rite is stated; the verse sets up the need for restoration of merit (often through tapas, tīrtha, or dharmic acts in the larger narrative).