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
Di sini ada yang berzikir-japa nama Viṣṇu; yang lain benar-benar ber-japa Śiva. Ada yang melantunkan Brahmā, dan ada yang membaca himne-himne untuk Yama. Ada pula yang melaksanakan yajña, dan para yājaka menekuni Agnihotra—dengan lafaz ‘svāhā’, ‘svadhā’, dan ‘vaṣaṭ’, wahai engkau yang berikrar mulia.
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.