Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 40
शृणु तत्राभवत्पूर्वं यदाश्चर्यं महामते । ऋषिर्मंकणकोनाम सरस्वत्यास्तटे स्थितः
śṛṇu tatrābhavatpūrvaṃ yadāścaryaṃ mahāmate | ṛṣirmaṃkaṇakonāma sarasvatyāstaṭe sthitaḥ
Dengarlah, wahai yang berjiwa agung, suatu keajaiban yang pernah berlaku di sana pada zaman dahulu: seorang ṛṣi bernama Maṅkaṇa tinggal di tebing Sungai Sarasvatī.
Skanda (deduced)
Tirtha: Sarasvatī-taṭa at Arbuda (Maṅkaṇa-ṛṣi āśrama locus)
Type: ghat
Listener: A great-minded interlocutor (mahāmate)
Scene: On the serene bank of Sarasvatī, ṛṣi Maṅkaṇa sits in austere dwelling (kuṭīra), surrounded by deer and disciples; the narrator invites the listener to hear the forthcoming marvel.
FAQs
Māhātmya teachings often unfold through exemplary stories—wonders near sacred rivers instruct seekers about dharma and inner states.
The Sarasvatī riverbank within the Arbuda region, presented as a setting for a sacred marvel.
None; the verse introduces a narrative episode (ākhyāna) to convey the site’s sanctity.