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
“若你们对我怀有慈爱，诸位神圣的主啊，请将此事告知我。”于是那两位天神开始讲述圣师舒克罗（Śukra）的至上故事。
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).