Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 3
तेनैव यजता तत्र को हीष्टः प्रब्रवीहि नः । ऋत्विजः के स्थितास्तत्र यैस्तत्कर्म मखोद्भवम् । तत्प्रत्यक्षे कृतं सर्वमेतन्नः कौतुकं परम्
tenaiva yajatā tatra ko hīṣṭaḥ prabravīhi naḥ | ṛtvijaḥ ke sthitāstatra yaistatkarma makhodbhavam | tatpratyakṣe kṛtaṃ sarvametannaḥ kautukaṃ param
Lorsqu’il accomplissait lui-même le sacrifice en ce lieu, quelle divinité était principalement honorée ? Dis-le-nous. Quels prêtres ṛtvij se tenaient là, par lesquels fut menée cette œuvre sacrificielle née du makha (yajña) ? Tout cela fut accompli sous leurs propres yeux ; telle est notre plus grande merveille.
Ṛṣis (sages)
Type: kshetra
Listener: dvijapuṅgava-s / brāhmaṇa audience
Scene: A circle of inquisitive brāhmaṇas in a tīrtha-āśrama asks about the iṣṭa-devatā and the ṛtvij assembly of a famed sacrifice; the atmosphere is charged with wonder at a ‘seen’ miracle.
FAQs
True listening seeks specifics—understanding dharma includes knowing the deity-focus, the officiants, and the exact performance of sacred rites.
The inquiry continues within the same sacred-region narrative (Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra and Puṣkara-traya context).
It asks for ritual particulars: chief deity worshipped (iṣṭa), the ṛtvij priests, and how the makha-born rite was executed.