Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 73
अन्यत्र तीर्थ सलिले पतितोद्विजन्मा देवादिभावमयते न तथा तु काश्याम् । चित्रं यदत्र पतितः पुनरुत्थितिं न प्राप्नोति पुल्कसजनोपि किमग्र जन्मा
anyatra tīrtha salile patitodvijanmā devādibhāvamayate na tathā tu kāśyām | citraṃ yadatra patitaḥ punarutthitiṃ na prāpnoti pulkasajanopi kimagra janmā
في غير كاشي، قد يسقط ذو الولادتين في ماء تيرثا ثم ينهض إلى مقاماتٍ إلهية؛ أمّا في كاشي فليس الأمر كذلك. يا للعجب: من يسقط هنا لا ينال قيامًا دنيويًا من جديد؛ فإذا كان حتى المولود من طبقة البولكسا يُعتَق، فكيف بمن هو أرفع مولدًا؟
Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda speaking to Agastya)
Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta-kṣetra)
Type: kshetra
Listener: null
Scene: A pilgrim at Kāśī’s ghāṭa slips into sacred waters; above, Śiva’s unseen grace is implied, while the city’s luminous aura signifies release from rebirth; figures of diverse communities stand equally within the kṣetra’s sanctity.
FAQs
Kāśī is presented as a place where saṃsāric return is cut off—its liberating power surpasses ordinary tīrtha merits and transcends social birth distinctions.
Kāśī (Vārāṇasī), described as uniquely preventing ‘return’ (punar-utthiti), i.e., rebirth.
Falling/immersion in tīrtha waters is mentioned comparatively; no new prescription is given beyond highlighting Kāśī’s exceptional status.