Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 20
ऋत्विज ऊचुः । कथं यज्ञक्रिया कार्या कपाले सदसि स्थिते । परिक्षिपथ तस्मात्तु एवमूचुर्द्विजोत्तमाः
ṛtvija ūcuḥ | kathaṃ yajñakriyā kāryā kapāle sadasi sthite | parikṣipatha tasmāttu evamūcurdvijottamāḥ
Les prêtres officiants dirent : 'Comment les rites sacrificiels peuvent-ils être accomplis alors qu'un crâne gît dans l'assemblée ? Jetez-le donc dehors !' — ainsi parlèrent les meilleurs des deux-fois-nés.
Ṛtvijas (officiating priests)
Type: kshetra
Scene: Officiating priests confer in the yajña pavilion, pointing toward a skull lying near the assembly; attendants prepare to remove it beyond the ritual boundary; the vedi and fire remain central, emphasizing order and cleanliness.
FAQs
Sacred rites require a pure and proper setting; dharma is upheld by promptly removing what disrupts or defiles ritual order.
The verse occurs within a tīrtha narrative centered on a yajña-vāṭa, but it does not specify the tīrtha name in this line.
Remove the kapāla from the ritual assembly so yajña-kriyā can proceed correctly.