Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 158
इदं पितृभ्यो देवेभ्यो द्विजेभ्यः पावकाय च । एवं कस्माद्विस्तराः स्युर्मनः कायादिकष्टदाः
idaṃ pitṛbhyo devebhyo dvijebhyaḥ pāvakāya ca | evaṃ kasmādvistarāḥ syurmanaḥ kāyādikaṣṭadāḥ
“‘This is for the Pitṛs, this for the gods, this for the twice-born, and this for Fire’—if it can be said so, then why are there elaborate procedures that strain mind and body?”
Rājā (the king)
Scene: The king proposes a minimalist formula for allocating offerings to multiple recipients and questions the need for elaborate, strenuous procedures; ritual paraphernalia and a calm teacherly presence frame the debate.
FAQs
It challenges mere minimalism in ritual, asking why dharma prescribes detailed observances rather than only brief verbal dedication.
No holy site is identified in this verse.
It references dedicatory statements to Pitṛs, Devas, Dvijas, and Agni, while questioning the need for extensive ritual detail.