Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 41
मच्छक्ति धारिणी त्वं वा सृजैवान्यां क्रतुक्रियाम् । अन्यो यज्ञपुमानस्तु संत्वन्ये लोकपालकाः
macchakti dhāriṇī tvaṃ vā sṛjaivānyāṃ kratukriyām | anyo yajñapumānastu saṃtvanye lokapālakāḥ
“Wahai engkau yang memikul kuasa-Ku—sama ada engkau sendiri memulakan dan menggerakkan suatu kratu (ritus yajña) yang lain, atau biarlah ada ‘insan yajña’ yang lain sebagai pelaksana, dan biarlah ada juga para penjaga alam yang lain.”
Śiva (Śaṃbhu/Bhava)
Tirtha: Kāśī
Type: kshetra
Listener: Śaunaka and other ṛṣis (typical frame; not explicit in excerpt)
Scene: Śaṃbhu addresses the Devī as bearer of his śakti, instructing her to set another sacrificial rite in motion and to appoint alternate agents—ṛtviks and even loka-pālas—suggesting a cosmic council around a yajña-plan.
FAQs
Divine power (śakti) sustains ritual order: when one agent cannot proceed, dharma continues through proper appointment and delegation.
The broader setting is Kāśī in the Kāśī Khaṇḍa, though this verse focuses on yajña-order rather than naming a specific tīrtha.
The verse implies arranging/initiating an alternative sacrificial performance (kratu-kriyā) and appointing proper agents/guardians for the rite and order.