Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 5
को होता कश्च वाऽग्नीध्रः को ब्रह्मा तत्र संस्थितः । उद्गाता कः स्थितस्तत्र ह्याचार्यो यज्ञकर्मणि
ko hotā kaśca vā'gnīdhraḥ ko brahmā tatra saṃsthitaḥ | udgātā kaḥ sthitastatra hyācāryo yajñakarmaṇi
Qui était le Hotṛ, et qui l’Agnīdhra ? Qui siégeait là comme Brahmā, le prêtre superviseur ? Et qui se tenait là comme Udgātṛ—en vérité, qui était l’ācārya dans l’acte sacrificiel ?
Sages (Ṛṣis) questioning Sūta
Type: kshetra
Listener: dvijapuṅgava-s / brāhmaṇa audience
Scene: A catalog-like inquiry naming the key priestly offices, as if assembling a sacred roster; the scene evokes a grand yajña with multiple stations around the fire-altar.
FAQs
Sacred acts gain fullness when performed with right order, qualified guides, and faithful observance of established ritual roles.
This verse supports the broader tīrtha-māhātmya account in Adhyāya 180; the tīrtha is contextual to the chapter rather than specified here.
It emphasizes the complete Vedic setup of a yajña—Hotṛ, Agnīdhra, Brahmā, Udgātṛ, and an ācārya guiding the rite.