Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 25
ततः स पृथिवीपालः साम्ना चोग्रेण च स्वयम् । पर्यपृच्छत्सुहृद्वर्गं प्रत्यजानन्न चैव ते
tataḥ sa pṛthivīpālaḥ sāmnā cogreṇa ca svayam | paryapṛcchatsuhṛdvargaṃ pratyajānanna caiva te
ततः स पृथिवीपालः कदाचित्साम्ना कदाचिदुग्रेण च स्वयम्। सुहृद्वर्गं पर्यपृच्छत्, ते तु तद्विषये किञ्चिदपि न प्रत्यजानन्॥
Īśvara (narrator voice within the Māhātmya context)
Tirtha: Prabhāsa-kṣetra
Type: kshetra
Scene: The king (Śaryāti) alternates gentle and stern questioning of his trusted companions in a tight circle, faces averted, no one admitting fault; the atmosphere is controlled but tense.
FAQs
Leadership requires discernment: even gentle and stern questioning may fail when truth is concealed, prompting a deeper search for dharma.
The broader frame is Prabhāsa-kṣetra (Prabhāsakṣetramāhātmya), though this verse itself is narrative setup rather than direct tīrtha praise.
None in this verse; it focuses on the king’s inquiry and the companions’ silence.