Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 18
नैवेद्यं हविषश्चैव यज्ञोऽयं हि विकल्मषः । स एव यज्ञः प्रोक्तो वै येन तुष्यन्ति देवताः
naivedyaṃ haviṣaścaiva yajño'yaṃ hi vikalmaṣaḥ | sa eva yajñaḥ prokto vai yena tuṣyanti devatāḥ
नैवेद्यं हविषश्चैव समर्प्य योऽयं यज्ञः स विकल्मषः। स एव यज्ञ इति प्रोक्तो येन देवताः सन्तुष्यन्ति॥
Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) narrating within Māheśvara-khaṇḍa context
Scene: A clean altar with a small homa-fire; a devotee presents naivedya on a leaf-plate and pours havis into the flame; devas are implied as satisfied through a haloed, unseen presence; prasāda is later shared.
FAQs
A ritual is ‘real yajña’ only when it genuinely pleases the divine—through purity and sincere offering.
No specific tīrtha is mentioned; the verse gives a general criterion for valid worship.
Offer naivedya and havis with purity; the measure of success is the satisfaction (tuṣṭi) of the devatās.