Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 57
विश्वेश्वरि त्वमसि विश्वजनस्य कर्त्री त्वं पालयित्र्यसि तथा प्रलयेपिहंत्री । त्वन्नामकीर्तनसमुल्लसदच्छपुण्या स्रोतस्विनी हरति पातककूलवृक्षान्
viśveśvari tvamasi viśvajanasya kartrī tvaṃ pālayitryasi tathā pralayepihaṃtrī | tvannāmakīrtanasamullasadacchapuṇyā srotasvinī harati pātakakūlavṛkṣān
يا سيّدةَ الكون، أنتِ خالقةُ جميعِ الكائنات؛ وأنتِ حاميتُهم، وعند الفناء أنتِ أيضًا المُهلِكة. إن النهرَ الطاهرَ المتلألئ من الثواب، الذي يفيض بترتيل اسمكِ، يقتلعُ من جذورها غابةَ أشجارٍ هي جموعُ الخطايا.
Ravi (Sūrya)
Tirtha: Kāśī-kṣetra (Viśveśvarī-bhāva)
Type: kshetra
Listener: Devī (Viśveśvarī)
Scene: Devī as Viśveśvarī stands as cosmic sovereign: subtle imagery of creation, protection, and dissolution around her; from devotees’ chanting rises a bright, clear ‘river of merit’ sweeping away a dark forest of sin-trees uprooted at the roots.
FAQs
Name-chanting is a powerful purifier; Devī governs creation, protection, and dissolution as the cosmic Śakti.
Kāśī, where Viśveśvarī/Śakti is praised together with the kṣetra’s saving power.
Nāma-kīrtana (chanting the Goddess’s names) is explicitly praised as sin-destroying.