Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 9
अतस्त्वां परिपृच्छामि धर्मतीर्थाश्रयं कवे । बहूनि सन्ति तीर्थानि बहुशो मे श्रुतानि च
atastvāṃ paripṛcchāmi dharmatīrthāśrayaṃ kave | bahūni santi tīrthāni bahuśo me śrutāni ca
ஆகையால், ஓ கவியே, தர்மமும் தீர்த்தங்களும் சார்ந்த ஆதாரமே, உம்மை நான் கேட்கிறேன். தீர்த்தங்கள் பல உள்ளன; அவற்றைப் பற்றி நான் பலமுறை கேட்டுள்ளேன்।
Śaunaka
Listener: Śaunaka
Scene: Śaunaka leaning forward in inquiry, gesturing toward an imagined map of many sacred places; Sūta poised to begin a systematic account; surrounding sages attentive, suggesting the start of a pilgrimage-catalogue narrative.
FAQs
Pilgrimage knowledge should be sought from dharmic authorities; inquiry is itself a dharma when done with reverence.
No single tīrtha yet; the verse introduces a broader inquiry into sacred geography that will culminate in Revā’s praise.
None explicit; it establishes the method—paripraśna (earnest questioning) as the gateway to tīrtha-dharma.