Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 32
अहमासं पुरा शूद्रो दरिद्रोऽतीवभूतले । भ्रमामि वसुधापृष्ठे ह्यशनपीडितो भृशम्
ahamāsaṃ purā śūdro daridro'tīvabhūtale | bhramāmi vasudhāpṛṣṭhe hyaśanapīḍito bhṛśam
ਪਹਿਲਾਂ ਮੈਂ ਧਰਤੀ ਉੱਤੇ ਇਕ ਸ਼ੂਦ੍ਰ ਸੀ, ਬਹੁਤ ਹੀ ਦਰਿਦ੍ਰ। ਮੈਂ ਵਸੁਧਾ ਦੇ ਪਿੱਠ ਉੱਤੇ ਭਟਕਦਾ ਫਿਰਦਾ, ਭੁੱਖ ਦੀ ਤੀਖੀ ਪੀੜ ਨਾਲ ਬਹੁਤ ਤੜਫਦਾ ਸੀ।
Lomaśa
Listener: Bhūpa (king)
Scene: A starving, rag-clad wanderer traverses dusty roads and open fields, clutching his throat in hunger; distant temple silhouettes hint at impending encounter with a liṅga.
FAQs
Purāṇic narratives often show that spiritual elevation can arise from hardship when one turns toward dharma and devotion.
No site is named yet; the verse sets the background for a forthcoming sacred encounter.
None in this verse; it is autobiographical context for the merit-story.