Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 3
तेनैव यजता तत्र को हीष्टः प्रब्रवीहि नः । ऋत्विजः के स्थितास्तत्र यैस्तत्कर्म मखोद्भवम् । तत्प्रत्यक्षे कृतं सर्वमेतन्नः कौतुकं परम्
tenaiva yajatā tatra ko hīṣṭaḥ prabravīhi naḥ | ṛtvijaḥ ke sthitāstatra yaistatkarma makhodbhavam | tatpratyakṣe kṛtaṃ sarvametannaḥ kautukaṃ param
तो स्वतः तेथे यज्ञ करीत असता मुख्यतः कोणत्या देवतेची इष्टि झाली? आम्हांस सांगा. तेथे कोण कोण ऋत्विज उपस्थित होते, ज्यांनी मखोत्पन्न ते यज्ञकर्म पार पाडले? हे सर्व त्यांच्या प्रत्यक्षात घडले—हेच आमचे परम कुतूहल आहे.
Ṛṣis (sages)
Type: kshetra
Listener: dvijapuṅgava-s / brāhmaṇa audience
Scene: A circle of inquisitive brāhmaṇas in a tīrtha-āśrama asks about the iṣṭa-devatā and the ṛtvij assembly of a famed sacrifice; the atmosphere is charged with wonder at a ‘seen’ miracle.
FAQs
True listening seeks specifics—understanding dharma includes knowing the deity-focus, the officiants, and the exact performance of sacred rites.
The inquiry continues within the same sacred-region narrative (Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra and Puṣkara-traya context).
It asks for ritual particulars: chief deity worshipped (iṣṭa), the ṛtvij priests, and how the makha-born rite was executed.