Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 5
नागराणां तु ये धर्मा व्यवहाराश्च केवलाः । तेषु चेद्वर्तते नित्यं संभाव्यो नागरो हि सः
nāgarāṇāṃ tu ye dharmā vyavahārāśca kevalāḥ | teṣu cedvartate nityaṃ saṃbhāvyo nāgaro hi saḥ
ผู้ใดดำรงอยู่เป็นนิตย์ตามธรรมและจารีตปฏิบัติอันเป็นเอกลักษณ์ของชาวนาคาระ ผู้นั้นแลพึงนับว่าเป็นนาคาระผู้แท้จริงและน่าเคารพ
Viśvāmitra (deduced from immediate narrative context in Adhyāya 204)
Listener: Mahārāja
Scene: A depiction of daily Nāgara duties: morning ablutions, sandhyā, respectful commerce/transactions, hospitality, and temple attendance—showing ‘nitya’ adherence to dharma and vyavahāra.
FAQs
True identity is validated by steady practice of dharma and disciplined conduct, not merely by name or birth.
This verse is primarily ethical/communal in focus within the Tīrthamāhātmya setting; no specific tīrtha is named in the verse itself.
No explicit ritual is prescribed here; it defines the standard of conduct for being recognized as a Nāgara.