Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 99
परपीडाकरं कर्म काश्यां नित्यं विवर्जयेत् । तदेव चेत्किमत्र स्यात्काशीवासो दुरात्मनाम्
parapīḍākaraṃ karma kāśyāṃ nityaṃ vivarjayet | tadeva cetkimatra syātkāśīvāso durātmanām
In Kāśī soll man stets Handlungen meiden, die anderen Leid zufügen. Wenn man hier gerade dieses Unheil tut, welchen Nutzen könnte dann das Wohnen in Kāśī den Bösherzigen bringen?
Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)
Tirtha: Kāśī
Type: kshetra
Scene: On a Kāśī lane near the ghats, a would-be resident raises a hand to harm another, but the looming presence of Śiva’s city—temple spire, trident banner, and the calm Gaṅgā—casts a moral spotlight; the aggressor’s shadow appears distorted, suggesting inner wickedness.
FAQs
The fruits of sacred residence depend on dharma; harming others cancels the purpose of living in Kāśī.
Kāśī (Vārāṇasī), as a dharma-sensitive mokṣa-kṣetra.
A clear behavioral prescription: avoid para-pīḍā (causing harm) while in Kāśī.