Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 1
। मेनकोवाच । अन्यास्ता नायिका विप्र यासां धर्मस्त्वयोदितः । स्वेच्छाचारविहारिण्यो वयं वेश्या दिवौकसाम्
| menakovāca | anyāstā nāyikā vipra yāsāṃ dharmastvayoditaḥ | svecchācāravihāriṇyo vayaṃ veśyā divaukasām
Menakā disse: “Ó brāhmana, aquelas outras heroínas cujo dharma descreveste são diferentes de nós. Nós, porém, vagamos conforme a própria vontade; somos cortesãs dos seres celestiais.”
Menakā
Type: kshetra
Listener: brāhmaṇa (unnamed)
Scene: Menakā speaks to a brāhmaṇa, poised and confident, with celestial elegance; the tīrtha landscape frames their dialogue—riverbank, shrine, and pilgrims.
FAQs
The verse frames a contrast between stated dharma and indulgent freedom, setting up a moral test where restraint is measured against temptation.
The broader passage belongs to the Nāgarakhaṇḍa’s Tīrthamāhātmya; the precise tīrtha is not named in this verse alone.
None directly; it introduces a dialogue that typically leads to teachings on vows, purity, and conduct at a sacred place.