Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 23
एकदा तु मया पृष्टः कथांते प्राप्य कौतुकम् । विस्मयाविष्टचित्तेन स द्विजो द्विजसत्तमाः
ekadā tu mayā pṛṣṭaḥ kathāṃte prāpya kautukam | vismayāviṣṭacittena sa dvijo dvijasattamāḥ
ایک بار جب حکایت اپنے انجام کو پہنچی اور میرے دل میں تجسّس جاگا، تو میں نے حیرت میں ڈوبے ہوئے دل کے ساتھ اُس برہمن سے پوچھا—وہ دوبار جنم لینے والوں میں سب سے افضل تھا۔
Lomaharṣaṇa (Sūta), narrating
Listener: A श्रेष्ठ द्विज (dvija-sattama) being questioned; likely the authoritative brāhmaṇa narrator of prior accounts
Scene: A narrator, wonder-struck, respectfully questions an eminent brāhmaṇa at the close of a tale; a quiet āśrama or sabhā setting with palm-leaf manuscripts and attentive listeners.
FAQs
Reverent inquiry after hearing sacred stories is encouraged; wonder becomes the seed of deeper understanding of dharma and tīrtha.
Not specified in this verse; it marks the transition to further revelation within the chapter’s tīrtha-māhātmya.
None; the practice implied is śravaṇa (listening) followed by praśna (respectful questioning).