Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 2
अस्य वाराहकल्पस्य प्रवेशे मुनिपुंगवैः । आपृच्छि का सरिच्छ्रेष्ठा वद तां त्वं मृकंडज
asya vārāhakalpasya praveśe munipuṃgavaiḥ | āpṛcchi kā saricchreṣṭhā vada tāṃ tvaṃ mṛkaṃḍaja
เมื่อเริ่มต้นวราหกัลปะนี้ เหล่ามุนีผู้ประเสริฐได้ทูลถามว่า: “ในบรรดาแม่น้ำทั้งหลาย แม่น้ำใดเลิศที่สุด? ขอท่านบุตรแห่งมฤกัณฑุ จงบอกเถิด”
Skanda (narrating a prior inquiry)
Scene: A primordial assembly of great sages at the threshold of Varāha-kalpa; they ask Mārkaṇḍeya (son of Mṛkaṇḍu) about the श्रेष्ठ river. The scene is austere: kusa grass seats, sacrificial fire, and a cosmic dawn sky.
FAQs
Purāṇic māhātmyas often begin with a sage-to-sage inquiry, establishing authority and a dharmic frame for sacred geography.
No single tīrtha yet; the verse sets up a discussion on the greatest river, leading into river māhātmya.
None; it is a narrative setup (praśna) for the ensuing teaching.