Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 58
अथवा न प्रसू दोषो मंदभाग्योऽस्मि तत्सुतः । सुतेनकृत्यं यत्कृत्यं तत्प्राप्तिर्नास्ति भिल्लि मे
athavā na prasū doṣo maṃdabhāgyo'smi tatsutaḥ | sutenakṛtyaṃ yatkṛtyaṃ tatprāptirnāsti bhilli me
„Oder die Mutter trifft gar keine Schuld; ich, ihr Sohn, bin der vom Unglück Begünstigte. Was ein Sohn zu tun hat, diese rechte Erfüllung ist mir nicht zuteilgeworden, o Bhillī.“
Narrative voice (Skanda relating to Agastya; speaker within the story: the son lamenting)
Tirtha: Kāśī
Type: kshetra
Scene: The speaker turns inward, declaring the mother blameless and himself ill-fated for failing in sonly duties; Bhillī is addressed as confidante/witness.
FAQs
One should own one’s shortcomings; filial duty (putra-dharma) is a sacred responsibility.
The episode is embedded in the Kāśīkhaṇḍa’s praise-context of Kāśī, though no single tirtha is named in this verse.
No specific rite is prescribed; the verse emphasizes dharma as duty and accountability.