Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 17
तस्यापहाभीतास्ते मामूचुरिति ब्राह्मणाः । तानहं प्राब्रवं पश्चाद्वि जानीत द्विजोत्तमाः
tasyāpahābhītāste māmūcuriti brāhmaṇāḥ | tānahaṃ prābravaṃ paścādvi jānīta dvijottamāḥ
Страшась утраты того духовного богатства, те брахманы так сказали мне. Затем я обратился к ним: «Поймите это, о двиджа-уттамы, лучшие среди дважды рождённых».
Nārada
Listener: brāhmaṇas (and by extension Arjuna)
Scene: A group of anxious brāhmaṇas approach the sage narrator, hands folded, expressing fear of losing tapas; the sage responds with a calm, instructive gesture, establishing a teacherly atmosphere.
FAQs
Spiritual ‘wealth’ must be protected through understanding and vigilance; fear of loss becomes fruitful when it leads to proper instruction.
The verse remains within the Mahī–Sāgara-Saṅgama narrative frame, without naming new geography.
No explicit rite; it transitions into guidance meant to preserve tapas and merit.