Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 2
मखकर्मणि प्रारब्ध ऋत्विग्भिर्वेदपारगैः । जलसर्पं समादाय बटुः कश्चित्सुनर्मकृत्
makhakarmaṇi prārabdha ṛtvigbhirvedapāragaiḥ | jalasarpaṃ samādāya baṭuḥ kaścitsunarmakṛt
Nang masimulan ang gawain ng yajña, na isinasagawa ng mga ṛtvij na bihasa sa Veda, may isang batang brahmacārin na mapanggulo ang kumuha ng isang ahas sa tubig.
Narrator (Sūta continuing)
Scene: A Vedic sacrifice has just commenced: learned ṛtviks chant around the fire; a mischievous young brahmacārin stealthily lifts a water-snake from a vessel/nearby water source, foreshadowing chaos amid solemnity.
FAQs
Even amid perfected ritual expertise, unforeseen disruptions can arise—testing steadiness, discernment, and adherence to dharma.
The broader narrative continues in Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra Māhātmya (Nāgara-khaṇḍa).
No explicit prescription; it describes the yajña being conducted by learned ṛtviks and introduces an anomalous act (bringing a water-snake) that sets up the ensuing episode.