Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 57
स्वप्रजास्वेक उदितो धूमकेतुरिवापरः । दुर्दमो नाम भूपालः क्षयाया कांड एव हि
svaprajāsveka udito dhūmaketurivāparaḥ | durdamo nāma bhūpālaḥ kṣayāyā kāṃḍa eva hi
Sa gitna ng kanyang mga nasasakupan ay sumibol ang isang haring nagngangalang Durdama, na wari’y ikalawang kometa—tunay ngang isang masamang pangitain ng kapahamakan.
Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)
Scene: A dramatic sky over a city: a blazing comet streaks above; below, King Durdama rises among subjects—armored, harsh-eyed—while people recoil; the comet’s tail visually aligns with the king, symbolizing ruin.
FAQs
Adharmic leadership is portrayed as a cosmic ill-omen, signaling collective suffering and the need for dharmic correction.
The storyline is situated within Kāśī-Khaṇḍa, preparing the entry into Kāśī’s sacred forest realm.
None; this is narrative setup describing the king’s character as a harbinger of decline.