Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 17
यज्ञ एवं विचार्यासौ यज्ञसारं समास्थितः । श्रद्धया देवपूजा या नमस्कारः स्तुतिः शुभा
yajña evaṃ vicāryāsau yajñasāraṃ samāsthitaḥ | śraddhayā devapūjā yā namaskāraḥ stutiḥ śubhā
Ayant ainsi médité sur le yajña, il demeure dans l’essence même du sacrifice : le culte des dieux avec foi, les salutations révérencieuses et la louange de bon augure.
Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) narrating within Māheśvara-khaṇḍa context
Scene: A devotee after reflection sets aside elaborate implements and performs simple devapūjā: offering flowers and water, hands folded in namaskāra, lips reciting stuti; the deity’s presence radiates शांत-प्रभा.
FAQs
The heart of sacrifice is devotion—faithful worship, humility, and sincere praise.
No particular site is named; the verse universalizes yajña as devotional practice.
Perform deva-pūjā with śraddhā, offer namaskāra, and recite stuti—these are presented as the ‘yajña-sāra’.