Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 120
जन्मांतरेपि मे सेवा भवतीभिश्च तेन च । विहिता तेन वो जन्म निर्मलं भक्तिभावितम्
janmāṃtarepi me sevā bhavatībhiśca tena ca | vihitā tena vo janma nirmalaṃ bhaktibhāvitam
হে প্ৰভু, আন জন্মতো তোমালোকৰ দ্বাৰা মোৰ সেৱা সম্পন্ন হৈছিল; সেই কাৰণেই তোমালোকৰ এই জন্ম পৱিত্ৰ, ভক্তিভাৱে পৰিপূৰ্ণ কৰি বিধান কৰা হৈছে।
Śiva (deduced from first-person ‘me sevā’ and surrounding Śiva-darśana context)
Tirtha: Kāśī (Viśveśvara-kṣetra)
Type: kshetra
Listener: Śaunaka and sages (frame) / narrative recipients in Kāśī-kathā
Scene: Śiva (as Viśveśvara) addressing devotees, acknowledging their past-life service and blessing their present birth as pure and devotion-filled; temple ambience of Kāśī suggested.
FAQs
Devotional service bears fruit across lifetimes; purity of birth and devotion arise from accumulated sevā and Śiva’s grace.
The teaching occurs within the Kāśī-māhātmya setting, where Śiva’s grace is presented as especially accessible.
No specific rite; it emphasizes ongoing sevā (service) and bhakti as the sustaining spiritual discipline.