Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 25
मम वा दुष्कृतं किंचिदुताहो भवतामिह । येन नष्टोऽग्निशालायां हुतभुक्केन हेतुना
mama vā duṣkṛtaṃ kiṃcidutāho bhavatāmiha | yena naṣṭo'gniśālāyāṃ hutabhukkena hetunā
“Apakah ada dosa atau kesalahan dariku—atau dari kalian di sini—sehingga di balai api Dewa Agni, sang pemakan persembahan, lenyap? Karena sebab apakah ini terjadi?”
Rājā (the king)
Tirtha: Revā-kṣetra
Type: kshetra
Listener: brāhmaṇas/ṛtviks
Scene: The king, anxious yet sincere, asks whether his own misdeed or that of the officiants caused Agni’s withdrawal; the fire-pit appears empty or faint, as if the deity has receded.
FAQs
Ritual efficacy is tied to ethical integrity; when sacred order falters, self-examination for duṣkṛta is a dharmic first step.
The narrative belongs to the Revā Khaṇḍa milieu (Narmadā sacred landscape); this verse centers on the yajña setting (agniśālā).
Implicitly, maintain ritual and moral purity so that Agni remains ‘present’—a prerequisite for yajña completion.