Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 79
अथ श्रुत्वा च तद्वाक्यं स प्राह द्विजसत्तमः । न मया कश्चिदन्योऽत्र निर्दिष्टो गोप्यकर्मणि । अधिकारस्त्वयात्मीयस्तथा कार्यो यथा पुरा
atha śrutvā ca tadvākyaṃ sa prāha dvijasattamaḥ | na mayā kaścidanyo'tra nirdiṣṭo gopyakarmaṇi | adhikārastvayātmīyastathā kāryo yathā purā
Mendengar kata-kata itu, yang terbaik antara yang dua kali lahir menjawab: “Aku tidak melantik sesiapa pun yang lain di sini untuk tugas yang bersifat rahsia ini. Wewenang itu milikmu sahaja—laksanakanlah seperti dahulu.”
Dvija-sattama (a leading brāhmaṇa, likely Devaśarmā in this episode)
Type: kshetra
Listener: Ṛṣis/Brāhmaṇas
Scene: The dvija-sattama responds calmly, denying any replacement and reaffirming the antyaja’s authority over the confidential task; the scene is a composed dialogue with subtle unease beneath.
FAQs
Dharma includes clarity of responsibility (adhikāra) and disciplined execution of entrusted duties, especially when they are ‘gopya’ (confidential).
The broader chapter belongs to a tīrtha-māhātmya setting in Nāgarakhaṇḍa, though this line itself is dialogue without naming the site.
None directly; the verse discusses assignment of duty and authority, not a formal rite.