Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 57
साक्षाच्च सर्वे मंत्रा वै साक्षाद्यज्ञपुमानसौ । आचार्यपदवीमेष देवाचार्यः स्वयं चरेत् । साक्षाद्ब्रह्मा स्वयं चैष भृगुर्वै कर्मकांडवित्
sākṣācca sarve maṃtrā vai sākṣādyajñapumānasau | ācāryapadavīmeṣa devācāryaḥ svayaṃ caret | sākṣādbrahmā svayaṃ caiṣa bhṛgurvai karmakāṃḍavit
And all the mantras should be present in person; the very Person of the Yajña should be manifest. The office of the ācārya should be carried out by the divine preceptor himself. Brahmā himself should be present, and Bhṛgu—knower of the ritual section (karma-kāṇḍa)—as well.
Skanda (deduced, Kāśīkhaṇḍa norm)
Tirtha: Kāśī
Type: kshetra
Listener: null
Scene: A cosmic yajña: luminous mantras as personified syllabic beings hover; Yajña-Puruṣa stands radiant; a divine guru officiates; Brahmā and Bhṛgu sit as authoritative witnesses.
FAQs
True ritual legitimacy is extraordinarily rare; it requires flawless mantra, realized yajña-spirit, and unimpeachable priestly authority.
Though not naming a tirtha, the teaching reflects Kāśī-khaṇḍa’s dharmic lens: in Kāśī, inner truth outweighs mere ceremonial display.
An extreme benchmark for yajña: mantras, Yajña-person, divine ācārya, Brahmā, and Bhṛgu should be present in person.