Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 3
सूत उवाच । आसीद्भानुमतीनाम बलभद्रसुता पुरा । सर्वलक्षणसंपन्ना रूपौ दार्यगुणान्विता
sūta uvāca | āsīdbhānumatīnāma balabhadrasutā purā | sarvalakṣaṇasaṃpannā rūpau dāryaguṇānvitā
Sūta berkata: Dahulu kala ada seorang gadis bernama Bhānumatī, puteri Balabhadra—lengkap dengan segala tanda keberuntungan, elok rupanya, serta berhias dengan budi pekerti mulia.
Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa/Sauti)
Listener: Ṛṣis
Scene: A courtly portrait-introduction: Bhānumatī stands in a palace corridor with lotus motifs, attended by maidservants; she is depicted with auspicious marks, modest ornaments, and a composed, virtuous demeanor.
FAQs
Puranic dharma often introduces sacred-history through exemplary persons, highlighting auspicious qualities (lakṣaṇas) and virtues as signs of dharmic life.
This verse sets the narrative background; the adhyāya later glorifies Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra (a sin-destroying sacred field).
None in this verse; it is a character-introduction within the tīrtha-māhātmya narrative.