Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 7
सूत उवाच । पूर्वं किंचिन्महद्भूतं निर्गतं धरणीतलात् । अपूर्वं रौद्रमत्युग्रं कृष्ण दंतं भयानकम्
sūta uvāca | pūrvaṃ kiṃcinmahadbhūtaṃ nirgataṃ dharaṇītalāt | apūrvaṃ raudramatyugraṃ kṛṣṇa daṃtaṃ bhayānakam
Sūta berkata: “Pada dahulu kala, muncul dari permukaan bumi suatu makhluk yang amat besar—belum pernah ada, murka dan teramat ganas, bergigi hitam serta menggerunkan.”
Sūta
Listener: Ṛṣis (Naimiṣāraṇya assembly, implied)
Scene: From a cracked earth-surface a colossal, unprecedented, wrathful being rises—black-toothed, terrifying—dust and smoke billowing as the ground splits.
FAQs
Pilgrimage lore often frames tīrthas against a backdrop of chaos subdued by dharma—reminding devotees that sacred order is established through divine and righteous action.
The verse is part of the lead-up narrative connected to Vāstupada Tīrtha, explaining the circumstances behind its sanctity.
None; this is narrative setup (itihāsa) rather than instruction.