Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 71
सर्वेषामेव यज्ञानामश्वमेधो विशिष्यते । दुर्लभः स्वल्पवित्तानां भूरिशः पापकर्मणाम्
sarveṣāmeva yajñānāmaśvamedho viśiṣyate | durlabhaḥ svalpavittānāṃ bhūriśaḥ pāpakarmaṇām
എല്ലാ യാഗങ്ങളിലും അശ്വമേധം ശ്രേഷ്ഠമാണ്; എന്നാൽ അല്പധനമുള്ളവർക്ക് അത് ദുർലഭം, പാപകർമ്മഭാരിതർക്കോ അതിന്റെ സമ്യക് അനുഷ്ഠാനം അനവധി തടസ്സങ്ങളാൽ മുടങ്ങുന്നു।
Śaṅkara (Śiva)
Tirtha: Daśāśvamedha-tīrtha (implied)
Type: ghat
Listener: Rājendra (king)
Scene: A contemplative teaching scene: a sage explains to a king that Aśvamedha is supreme but difficult for the poor and obstructed by sin; in the background, a grand yajña arena contrasts with humble pilgrims at a riverbank.
FAQs
Ritual greatness alone is not enough—means (vitta) and moral purity (karma) condition one’s capacity to perform grand sacrifices.
The verse sets up the tīrtha-context of Daśāśvamedha by contrasting it with the difficulty of the Aśvamedha sacrifice.
Aśvamedha is referenced as the highest yajña, implicitly motivating alternative tīrtha-based practices for those unable to perform it.