Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 2
मखकर्मणि प्रारब्ध ऋत्विग्भिर्वेदपारगैः । जलसर्पं समादाय बटुः कश्चित्सुनर्मकृत्
makhakarmaṇi prārabdha ṛtvigbhirvedapāragaiḥ | jalasarpaṃ samādāya baṭuḥ kaścitsunarmakṛt
वेदपारंगत ऋत्विजांनी यज्ञकर्म सुरू केले असता, एक खोडकर बटू ब्रह्मचारी जलसर्प उचलून घेतला।
Narrator (Sūta continuing)
Scene: A Vedic sacrifice has just commenced: learned ṛtviks chant around the fire; a mischievous young brahmacārin stealthily lifts a water-snake from a vessel/nearby water source, foreshadowing chaos amid solemnity.
FAQs
Even amid perfected ritual expertise, unforeseen disruptions can arise—testing steadiness, discernment, and adherence to dharma.
The broader narrative continues in Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra Māhātmya (Nāgara-khaṇḍa).
No explicit prescription; it describes the yajña being conducted by learned ṛtviks and introduces an anomalous act (bringing a water-snake) that sets up the ensuing episode.