Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 98
ततोऽहं सत्वरं प्राप्तः कौतुकेन द्विजोत्तमाः । कीदृशः स मखो भावी यत्र यज्वा पितामहः
tato'haṃ satvaraṃ prāptaḥ kautukena dvijottamāḥ | kīdṛśaḥ sa makho bhāvī yatra yajvā pitāmahaḥ
“അതുകൊണ്ട്, ഹേ ദ്വിജോത്തമന്മാരേ, കൗതുകത്താൽ ഞാൻ വേഗത്തിൽ ഇവിടെ എത്തി—സ്വയം പിതാമഹൻ യജമാനനായിരിക്കുന്ന ആ മഖം (യജ്ഞം) എങ്ങനെയായിരിക്കും?”
Atithi
Type: kshetra
Listener: brāhmaṇas (dvijottamāḥ)
Scene: The atithi hastens along a road, energized by wonder, envisioning a grand yajña where Brahmā himself officiates; the scene alternates between travel urgency and a visionary sacrificial arena with blazing fire and Vedic implements.
FAQs
Holy wonder (kautuka) becomes a doorway to dharma when it draws one toward understanding and witnessing great sacred rites.
The verse points to a particular ‘sthāna’ where the sacrifice will occur, but does not name the tīrtha explicitly in this line.
A forthcoming makha/yajña is referenced; the verse asks about its nature rather than prescribing a practice.