Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 76
नदीनां च यथा गंगा सतीनां चाप्यरुंधती । तद्वत्स्थानजविप्राणां श्रेष्ठोऽष्टकुलिकः स्मृतः
nadīnāṃ ca yathā gaṃgā satīnāṃ cāpyaruṃdhatī | tadvatsthānajaviprāṇāṃ śreṣṭho'ṣṭakulikaḥ smṛtaḥ
Sebagaimana Gaṅgā terunggul antara sungai, dan Arundhatī terunggul antara wanita suci setia, demikianlah antara brāhmaṇa yang lahir di tempat suci itu, Aṣṭakulika dikenang sebagai yang «śreṣṭha», yakni paling utama.
Viśvāmitra (deduced from immediate context; explicit at 85)
Type: kshetra
Scene: Gaṅgā personified as a radiant river-goddess and Arundhatī as a serene, veiled pativratā appear as symbolic witnesses while an aṣṭakulika brāhmaṇa at the local ghāṭa instructs pilgrims in dharma.
FAQs
The verse teaches that in tīrtha-based rites, reverence for the most qualified local Brāhmaṇas is itself part of dharma and amplifies the merit (puṇya) of worship and offerings.
The verse speaks within a Tīrthamāhātmya context of the Nāgara Khaṇḍa, praising the sanctity of the ‘place’ (sthāna) and its native ritual authorities, without naming a single tīrtha in this line.
An implicit prescription: in rites connected to a sacred place, one should recognize and prioritize the foremost local Brāhmaṇa (here, the Aṣṭakulika) for ritual engagement and honor.