Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 2
सूत उवाच । आसीद्राजा वृकोनाम सोमवंश समुद्भवः । ब्रह्मण्यश्च शरण्यश्च सर्वलोकहिते रतः
sūta uvāca | āsīdrājā vṛkonāma somavaṃśa samudbhavaḥ | brahmaṇyaśca śaraṇyaśca sarvalokahite rataḥ
Sūta berkata: “Dahulu ada seorang raja bernama Vṛka, lahir daripada Dinasti Bulan (Somavaṃśa). Baginda berbakti kepada para brāhmaṇa, menjadi tempat berlindung bagi yang memohon perlindungan, dan sentiasa tekun demi kebajikan semua makhluk.”
Sūta
Listener: Ṛṣis (Naimiṣāraṇya assembly, typical Purāṇic frame)
Scene: Sūta narrates in an assembly; a dignified Somavaṃśī king Vṛka is portrayed as charitable and protective, surrounded by supplicants and brāhmaṇas.
FAQs
True kingship (rājadharma) is defined by protection, reverence for brāhmaṇas and dharma, and commitment to the common good.
The verse inaugurates the Śarmiṣṭhā-tīrtha māhātmya by introducing the righteous king connected to its origin story.
None explicitly; it establishes the dharmic character of the protagonist whose actions will ground the tīrtha narrative.