Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 90
मुक्त्वा तु नागरं विप्रं योऽन्येनात्र करिष्यति । श्राद्धं वा यदि वा यज्ञं व्यर्थं तस्य भविष्यति
muktvā tu nāgaraṃ vipraṃ yo'nyenātra kariṣyati | śrāddhaṃ vā yadi vā yajñaṃ vyarthaṃ tasya bhaviṣyati
من ترك براهمنًا ناغارا واستعان بغيره ليقيم هنا شرادها أو يَجْنَا، فإن ذلك الطقس يصير عديم الثمرة له.
Viśvāmitra (to the King)
Tirtha: Nāgara-kṣetra (contextual)
Type: kshetra
Listener: Rājā (king)
Scene: A pilgrim-king at a tīrtha prepares śrāddha/yajña; a Nāgara brāhmaṇa stands as the rightful officiant while another outsider priest is respectfully set aside; the atmosphere is solemn, rule-bound, and didactic.
FAQs
Ritual efficacy is tied to dharmic procedure; violating a tīrtha’s established rule undermines the intended merit.
The verse speaks from within the Nāgarakhaṇḍa Tīrthamāhātmya context and stresses the place-specific rule (“here”).
One should not bypass a Nāgara brāhmaṇa for śrāddha/yajña at this place; otherwise the rite yields no fruit.