Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 41
मच्छक्ति धारिणी त्वं वा सृजैवान्यां क्रतुक्रियाम् । अन्यो यज्ञपुमानस्तु संत्वन्ये लोकपालकाः
macchakti dhāriṇī tvaṃ vā sṛjaivānyāṃ kratukriyām | anyo yajñapumānastu saṃtvanye lokapālakāḥ
„O du, die du Meine Macht trägst: Entweder vollziehe selbst und setze ein anderes Kratu, einen weiteren Opferakt, in Gang; oder es sei ein anderer ‚Opfermann‘ als Vollstrecker des Yajña, und es mögen auch andere Hüter der Welten sein.“
Śiva (Śaṃbhu/Bhava)
Tirtha: Kāśī
Type: kshetra
Listener: Śaunaka and other ṛṣis (typical frame; not explicit in excerpt)
Scene: Śaṃbhu addresses the Devī as bearer of his śakti, instructing her to set another sacrificial rite in motion and to appoint alternate agents—ṛtviks and even loka-pālas—suggesting a cosmic council around a yajña-plan.
FAQs
Divine power (śakti) sustains ritual order: when one agent cannot proceed, dharma continues through proper appointment and delegation.
The broader setting is Kāśī in the Kāśī Khaṇḍa, though this verse focuses on yajña-order rather than naming a specific tīrtha.
The verse implies arranging/initiating an alternative sacrificial performance (kratu-kriyā) and appointing proper agents/guardians for the rite and order.