Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 2
पुरा मंकिरभूद्विप्रो नाममात्रेण भूपते । मूर्खो ब्राह्मणकृत्यानामनभिज्ञः सुमन्दधीः
purā maṃkirabhūdvipro nāmamātreṇa bhūpate | mūrkho brāhmaṇakṛtyānāmanabhijñaḥ sumandadhīḥ
Pada zaman dahulu, wahai penguasa bumi, ada seorang bernama Maṅki—brāhmaṇa hanya pada nama—bodoh, tidak mengetahui kewajipan brāhmaṇa, dan sangat tumpul fikirannya.
Pulastya (narrating to the king)
Tirtha: Prabhāsa (narrative frame)
Type: kshetra
Listener: King (addressed as bhūpate/nṛpasattama)
Scene: A rustic brāhmaṇa-in-name-only, poorly dressed and bewildered, stands before a kingly listener as the narrator introduces his ignorance; background hints of coastal sacred landscape and distant temple silhouettes.
FAQs
Birth or title alone is not dharma; true brāhmaṇahood is defined by conduct, knowledge, and prescribed duties.
The narrative is leading into Piṇḍāraka Tīrtha’s māhātmya, though the site is not named in this verse itself.
None directly; it sets up a moral narrative about ignorance of brāhmaṇical rites and duties.