Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 8
अपूज्योऽयं विधिः प्रोक्तस्तया मंत्रपुरःसरः । सर्वेषामेव वर्णानां विप्रादीनां सुरो त्तमाः
apūjyo'yaṃ vidhiḥ proktastayā maṃtrapuraḥsaraḥ | sarveṣāmeva varṇānāṃ viprādīnāṃ suro ttamāḥ
ഹേ ദേവോത്തമാ! അവൾ മന്ത്രപൂർവ്വം പ്രസ്താവിച്ചതനുസരിച്ച് ഈ വിധി-സ്വരൂപനായ ബ്രഹ്മാവ് ബ്രാഹ്മണാദി എല്ലാ വർണ്ണങ്ങൾക്കും പൂജ്യനല്ല, അപൂജ്യനാണ്.
Gāyatrī (within Sūta’s narration; reporting Sāvitrī’s pronouncement)
Type: kshetra
Listener: Devas (addressed as 'surottamāḥ')
Scene: A divine feminine authority (unnamed in the verse) pronounces a decree about Vidhi/Brahmā’s worship-worthiness; gods listen in a solemn assembly, with mantra as the preface to the proclamation.
FAQs
Purāṇic narratives emphasize that adhikāra (worthiness) for worship is tied to dharma and conduct; even high status can be constrained by moral consequence.
The statement belongs to the Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra māhātmya narrative arc within Nāgara Khaṇḍa.
A prohibition is implied: Brahmā (Vidhi) is declared ‘apūjya’ (not to be worshipped) for all varṇas; no procedural details are given here.