Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 13
इयं हि निष्फला भूमिः शपलं भारतं मुने
iyaṃ hi niṣphalā bhūmiḥ śapalaṃ bhārataṃ mune
“Bagi kami, bumi ini tampak tidak berbuah, wahai muni; Bhārata ini seakan-akan diliputi sumpahan dan cela.”
Residents/foremost ones of Nāḍījaṅgha (petitioners)
Listener: A group of inquirers/seekers (likely sages or pilgrims)
Scene: A group of weary seekers addresses a sage, gesturing toward a vast map-like vision of Bhārata; the land appears shadowed by a symbolic ‘curse’ (dark clouds, cracked earth), while distant tīrthas glimmer faintly.
FAQs
Spiritual despair becomes the catalyst for seeking true tīrthas and authentic guidance toward purification and release.
No single tīrtha is named yet; the lament sets up the revelation of a uniquely efficacious sacred place later in the passage.
None; it is a complaint that prompts the request for a remedy.