Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 22
सूत उवाच । तच्छ्रुत्वा भगवान्विष्णुः प्रोवाचाथ पुरंदरम् । चिरं मनसि निश्चित्य क्षेत्राण्यायतनानि च
sūta uvāca | tacchrutvā bhagavānviṣṇuḥ provācātha puraṃdaram | ciraṃ manasi niścitya kṣetrāṇyāyatanāni ca
சூதர் கூறினார்—இதைக் கேட்ட பகவான் விஷ்ணு, திருத்தலங்களையும் புனித வாசஸ்தலங்களையும் மனத்தில் நீண்ட நேரம் தீர்மானித்து, புரந்தரன் (இந்திரன்)ிடம் உரைத்தார்.
Sūta
Type: kshetra
Listener: Śaunaka and the Naimiṣāraṇya sages
Scene: Sūta narrates as Viṣṇu, after inward contemplation, turns to address Indra—suggesting a calm, luminous court of devas with maps/visions of kṣetras implied.
FAQs
Sacred places are not random: kṣetras and āyatanas are divinely discerned as supports for dharma-restoring practice.
The verse introduces the selection of kṣetras/āyatanas but does not yet name the specific site.
Tapas is the implied practice; the verse sets up instructions about where it should be performed.