Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 5
आचक्षाथामिदं देवौ यदि प्रीतिर्मयि प्रभू । ततस्तौ स्माहतुर्देवौ शुक्रस्य परमां कथाम्
ācakṣāthāmidaṃ devau yadi prītirmayi prabhū | tatastau smāhaturdevau śukrasya paramāṃ kathām
“Hỡi hai vị thần, bậc tôn chủ, nếu thương mến ta thì xin hãy nói rõ điều này.” Bấy giờ hai vị thần bắt đầu thuật lại thánh truyện tối thượng về Śukra.
Śivaśarman (request), then Narrator indicates Gaṇas continue
Tirtha: Kāśī (implicit)
Type: kshetra
Listener: Śivaśarman
Scene: Śivaśarman respectfully petitions the two deities; they assent and begin narrating Śukra’s supreme story—an intimate moment of transmission, with gestures of blessing and attentive listening.
FAQs
Humility and devotion invite transmission of sacred knowledge through trustworthy divine narrators.
No tīrtha is named in this verse; it functions as a narrative bridge into Śukra’s account.
None; it introduces the forthcoming kathā (authoritative sacred narrative).