Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 3
तेनैव यजता तत्र को हीष्टः प्रब्रवीहि नः । ऋत्विजः के स्थितास्तत्र यैस्तत्कर्म मखोद्भवम् । तत्प्रत्यक्षे कृतं सर्वमेतन्नः कौतुकं परम्
tenaiva yajatā tatra ko hīṣṭaḥ prabravīhi naḥ | ṛtvijaḥ ke sthitāstatra yaistatkarma makhodbhavam | tatpratyakṣe kṛtaṃ sarvametannaḥ kautukaṃ param
حين كان هو نفسه يقيم الذبيحة هناك، فأيُّ إلهٍ كان المقصودَ بالعبادة على وجه الخصوص؟ أخبرونا. وأيُّ كهنةِ الرِّتْوِج (ṛtvij) كانوا قائمين هناك، وبهم أُنجز ذلك العملُ القربانيّ المولودُ من المَخا (yajña)؟ لقد جرى كلُّ هذا على مرأىً منهم؛ وهذه أعظمُ دهشتِنا.
Ṛṣis (sages)
Type: kshetra
Listener: dvijapuṅgava-s / brāhmaṇa audience
Scene: A circle of inquisitive brāhmaṇas in a tīrtha-āśrama asks about the iṣṭa-devatā and the ṛtvij assembly of a famed sacrifice; the atmosphere is charged with wonder at a ‘seen’ miracle.
FAQs
True listening seeks specifics—understanding dharma includes knowing the deity-focus, the officiants, and the exact performance of sacred rites.
The inquiry continues within the same sacred-region narrative (Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra and Puṣkara-traya context).
It asks for ritual particulars: chief deity worshipped (iṣṭa), the ṛtvij priests, and how the makha-born rite was executed.