Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 95
व्रतबंध कुरुष्वास्य सांप्रतं चाष्टवार्षिकः । नात्र दोषोस्ति विप्रेंद्र न भगिन्यास्तथा तव । तस्माद्गृहाण पुत्रं स्वं भागिनेयं विशेषतः
vratabaṃdha kuruṣvāsya sāṃprataṃ cāṣṭavārṣikaḥ | nātra doṣosti vipreṃdra na bhaginyāstathā tava | tasmādgṛhāṇa putraṃ svaṃ bhāgineyaṃ viśeṣataḥ
“Laksanakanlah upacara inisiasi (vrata-bandha) baginya sekarang, kerana dia telah berusia lapan tahun. Tiada kesalahan di sini, wahai brahmana yang utama—bukan pada pihakmu dan bukan juga pada pihak saudaramu. Maka terimalah dia sebagai anakmu sendiri, khususnya sebagai anak saudara (keponakan)mu.”
Nārada (advising Yājñavalkya)
Tirtha: Camatkārapura
Type: kshetra
Scene: Nārada urges Yājñavalkya to perform the boy’s upanayana now at age eight and to accept him as son/nephew; the scene is a solemn dharmic instruction in an āśrama.
FAQs
Initiatory rites and family responsibility are part of brāhmaṇa-dharma; one should protect and educate dependents without blame.
The instruction occurs within the Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra māhātmya narrative framework of the Nāgarakhaṇḍa.
Vrata-bandha (initiation, commonly associated with upanayana) is prescribed at the proper age (eight years).