Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 60
मर्त्यलोके प्रवर्षंति ततः सस्यं प्रजायते । सस्येन जीवते लोकः प्रभवन्ति मखास्तथा । मखांशेन सुराः सर्वे तृप्तिं यांति ततः परम्
martyaloke pravarṣaṃti tataḥ sasyaṃ prajāyate | sasyena jīvate lokaḥ prabhavanti makhāstathā | makhāṃśena surāḥ sarve tṛptiṃ yāṃti tataḥ param
แล้วในโลกมนุษย์ฝนย่อมตกลงมา; จากฝนพืชผลย่อมบังเกิด. ด้วยพืชผลโลกจึงดำรงชีพ และจากนั้นพิธียัญก็เกิดขึ้นด้วย. ด้วยส่วนแห่งยัญนั้น เทพทั้งปวงย่อมบรรลุความอิ่มเอมในกาลต่อมา
Deva (likely Śiva) speaking to Devī
Listener: Devī (Pārvatī)
Scene: A sequential tableau: clouds raining over fields; golden crops rising; people sharing food; a yajña-kuṇḍa with priests offering oblations; devas above receiving the smoke as luminous portions.
FAQs
It presents a dharmic chain of sustenance—rain → food → life → yajña → divine harmony—showing how cosmic balance depends on righteous order.
Within the Tīrthamāhātmya context, the teaching supports the greatness of Gaṅgā as the life-giving source behind rainfall, fertility, and sacrificial prosperity.
Yajña (makha) is implied as a sustaining rite through which the devas receive their due share (bhāga) and become satisfied.