Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 24
नष्टा धर्मक्रिया सर्वा मर्त्यलोकेत्र सांप्रतम् । अस्माकं संक्षयो जातो यज्ञभागं विना प्रभो
naṣṭā dharmakriyā sarvā martyaloketra sāṃpratam | asmākaṃ saṃkṣayo jāto yajñabhāgaṃ vinā prabho
Kini di dunia fana, segala upacara dharma telah lenyap. Tanpa bahagian kami dalam yajña, wahai Tuhan, kemerosotan kami pun bermula.
Devas
Listener: Śaunaka and sages (typical) / audience of the māhātmya
Scene: A council of devas, faces shadowed with worry, speaking of vanished yajñas on earth; smoke-less altars and abandoned vedi-s; the earth below shown dim, with broken ritual implements.
FAQs
Ritual duty (dharma-kriyā) sustains the cosmic ecosystem; when it collapses, even divine powers weaken, prompting recourse to the Supreme.
The verse is part of the lead-up to the Hāṭakeśvara/Pādukā tīrtha discussion in this adhyāya.
It underscores the necessity of yajña and the devas’ yajña-bhāga (sacrificial share), but gives no specific rite yet.