Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 16
वैश्वेश्वरी पुरी चैषा यथा मे चित्तहारिणी । सर्वापि न तथा क्षोणी न स्वर्गो नैव नागभूः
vaiśveśvarī purī caiṣā yathā me cittahāriṇī | sarvāpi na tathā kṣoṇī na svargo naiva nāgabhūḥ
هذه المدينة «فايشفِشْوَرِي» (كاشي، مدينة فيشفِشْوَرا) تأسر قلبي كما لا يفعل موضعٌ آخر—لا الأرض كلّها، ولا السماء، ولا حتى عالمُ الناغا يضاهيها.
Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa narrative typically Skanda to Agastya)
Tirtha: Vaiśveśvarī (Kāśī) / Viśveśvara-kṣetra
Type: kshetra
Listener: Pilgrimage audience
Scene: A cosmic map-like tableau: Kāśī at center with Viśveśvara’s radiance; around it, faint rings representing Bhū-loka, Svarga, and Nāga-bhūmi, all dimmer; a devotee’s heart motif drawn toward Kāśī’s light.
FAQs
Kāśī is affirmed as incomparable across worlds, indicating its unique status as Śiva’s city and a supreme field for spiritual attainment.
Vaiśveśvarī Purī—Kāśī (Vārāṇasī) associated with Viśveśvara.
None; it is pure praise of place (sthāna-stuti) emphasizing Kāśī’s unmatched merit.