Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 20
अकृष्णः कृष्णतामम्ब कथं गच्छेद्धयोत्तमः । दासत्वं प्राप्स्यसे त्वं हि पणेनानेन सुव्रते
akṛṣṇaḥ kṛṣṇatāmamba kathaṃ gaccheddhayottamaḥ | dāsatvaṃ prāpsyase tvaṃ hi paṇenānena suvrate
‘அம்மா, கருப்பல்லாத அந்தச் சிறந்த குதிரை எப்படிக் கருப்பாகும்? ஓ சுவிரதையே, இந்தப் பந்தயத்தால் நீ நிச்சயமாக அடிமைத்தனத்தை அடைவாய்.’
Kadrū’s sons (Nāgas), addressing Kadrū
Listener: Audience within Revā Khaṇḍa frame
Scene: Serpent-sons or relatives addressing Kadrū respectfully yet firmly; an imagined vision of the radiant white celestial horse in the background as a truth-symbol; warning of servitude.
FAQs
Reality cannot be bent by desire; wagering against truth leads to bondage and loss of freedom.
No tīrtha is directly praised in this verse.
None; it is an ethical warning within the story.