Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 6
मार्कण्डेय उवाच । बभूव ब्राह्मणः कश्चिन्माण्डव्य इति विश्रुतः । वृत्तिमान्सर्वधर्मज्ञः सत्ये तपसि च स्थितः
mārkaṇḍeya uvāca | babhūva brāhmaṇaḥ kaścinmāṇḍavya iti viśrutaḥ | vṛttimānsarvadharmajñaḥ satye tapasi ca sthitaḥ
มารกัณฑेयกล่าวว่า: มีพราหมณ์ผู้หนึ่งนามว่า “มาณฑวยะ” อันเลื่องชื่อ เป็นผู้ประพฤติชอบ รู้ทั่วธรรมทั้งปวง และตั้งมั่นในสัจจะกับตบะอย่างแน่วแน่
Mārkaṇḍeya
Listener: Yudhiṣṭhira
Scene: Mārkaṇḍeya begins the backstory: a renowned brāhmaṇa named Māṇḍavya, steadfast in truth and austerity, is introduced as the central figure.
FAQs
The tīrtha narrative is anchored in exemplars of dharma—truthfulness and austerity are presented as the spiritual capital that shapes sacred history.
The verse begins the backstory that will explain Śūla-tīrtha/Bhadrakālī-saṅgama’s fame on the Narmadā.
No direct ritual is prescribed; it introduces a dharmic character whose life frames the forthcoming tīrtha-māhātmya.