Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 5
कृष्ण पक्षे चतुर्दश्यां चैत्रमासे द्विजोत्तमाः । न तदा लक्षितस्तेन गच्छमानो यदृच्छया
kṛṣṇa pakṣe caturdaśyāṃ caitramāse dvijottamāḥ | na tadā lakṣitastena gacchamāno yadṛcchayā
Wahai yang terbaik antara kaum dwija, pada hari keempat belas paruh gelap bulan Caitra, haiwan itu tersasar secara kebetulan, dan pada saat itu dia tidak menyedarinya.
Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) (deduced; vocative dvijottamāḥ suggests sages as listeners)
Listener: Dvijottamāḥ (explicitly addressed)
Scene: Nightfall in the forest under a waning moon; the straying animal moves quietly; the cowherd remains unaware; the sky suggests caturdaśī—thin moon, deep blue-black; a faint sacred glow ahead.
FAQs
Purāṇas often mark events by sacred time (tithi and month), implying that karma and grace unfold within cosmic order.
Not named in this verse; it provides calendrical setting within the broader tīrtha-māhātmya.
No direct rite is prescribed here; only the tithi (Caitra kṛṣṇa caturdaśī) is stated.