Skanda Purana — Brahma Khanda, Shloka 54
केचिद्विष्णुं जपंतीह शिवं केचिज्जपंति हि । ब्रह्माणं च जपंत्येके यमसूक्तं हि केचन । यजंति याजकाश्चैव अग्निहोत्रमुपासते । स्वाहाकारस्वधाकारवषट्कारैश्च सुव्रत
kecidviṣṇuṃ japaṃtīha śivaṃ kecijjapaṃti hi | brahmāṇaṃ ca japaṃtyeke yamasūktaṃ hi kecana | yajaṃti yājakāścaiva agnihotramupāsate | svāhākārasvadhākāravaṣaṭkāraiśca suvrata
इथे काही विष्णूचा जप करतात, तर काही शिवाचा जप करतात. काही ब्रह्म्याचे नामस्मरण करतात, आणि काही यमसूक्ताचे पठण करतात. काही यज्ञ करतात व अग्निहोत्राची उपासना करतात—‘स्वाहा’, ‘स्वधा’ आणि ‘वषट्’ अशा उच्चारांसह, हे सुव्रत।
Skanda (deduced; descriptive catalogue of practices within Dharmāraṇya)
Tirtha: Dharmāraṇya
Type: kshetra
Listener: King (suvrata addressed)
Scene: Multiple groups in the same sacred grove: some with tulasī-mālā chanting Viṣṇu, others with rudrākṣa chanting Śiva, a Vedic priest reciting Yama-sūkta, and a yajña-śālā where agnihotra flames rise as ‘svāhā/svadhā/vaṣaṭ’ are uttered.
FAQs
In a true tīrtha, diverse orthodox practices—japa and yajña—coexist, all oriented toward dharma and sacred order.
Dharmāraṇya, portrayed as a vibrant center of mantra-japa and Vedic sacrifice.
Japa of Viṣṇu/Śiva/Brahmā, recitation of Yama-sūkta, and performance of yajña including daily Agnihotra with svāhā/svadhā/vaṣaṭ utterances.