Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 81
परार्धद्वयनाशेपि काशीस्थो यो न नश्यति । तस्मात्सर्वप्रयत्नेन काश्यां श्रेयः समाचरेत्
parārdhadvayanāśepi kāśīstho yo na naśyati | tasmātsarvaprayatnena kāśyāṃ śreyaḥ samācaret
দুই পরার্ধের নাশ (মহাপ্রলয়) হলেও যে কাশীতে অবস্থান করে, সে নষ্ট হয় না। অতএব সর্বপ্রযত্নে কাশীতে পরম শ্রেয়ের সাধনা করা উচিত।
Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)
Tirtha: Avimukta-kṣetra (Kāśī)
Type: kshetra
Scene: Against a dissolving cosmos, Kāśī stands luminous and untouched: ghāṭas and temples glowing; a protective aura around the kṣetra; pilgrims with folded hands moving toward Viśveśvara, embodying ‘sarva-prayatna’ (total effort).
FAQs
Kāśī is depicted as spiritually ‘non-perishing’; thus one should strive for liberation-oriented dharma there with full commitment.
Kāśī (Vārāṇasī), described as enduring in spiritual efficacy even across cosmic destructions.
A general prescription: ‘practice śreyas in Kāśī’—i.e., undertake liberation-focused conduct (devotion, purity, restraint) while residing there.