Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 27
मानुषत्वं न येन स्यात्सम्यक्चीर्णेन सद्द्विज । ततः स सुचिरं ध्यात्वा मामाह परमेश्वर
mānuṣatvaṃ na yena syātsamyakcīrṇena saddvija | tataḥ sa suciraṃ dhyātvā māmāha parameśvara
“โอ พราหมณ์ผู้ประเสริฐ จงบอกวัตร/พรตนั้นแก่ข้าเถิด ซึ่งเมื่อปฏิบัติถูกต้องแล้ว ย่อมไม่กลับไปสู่ภาวะมนุษย์สามัญอีก” ครั้นแล้วฤๅษีผู้ทรงเดชนั้นใคร่ครวญเนิ่นนาน จึงกล่าวแก่ข้า
Lakṣmī (narrating the exchange)
Listener: A noble brāhmaṇa (saddvija) addressed in the verse; the immediate dialogue is between seeker and a lordly sage
Scene: A seeker respectfully questions a venerable sage; the sage pauses in long contemplation before replying, suggesting gravity and secrecy of the vow.
FAQs
A rightly performed vow (samyak-caryā) is portrayed as a transformative discipline capable of changing one’s existential destiny.
No site is named in this verse; it introduces the forthcoming vrata instruction.
Only the criterion is stated: the vow must be ‘samyak cīrṇa’ (performed correctly). The method follows later.