Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 49
यदाष्टवर्षदेशीयो हरिकेशोऽभवच्छिशुः । नित्यं तदाप्रभृत्येवं शिवमेकममन्यत
yadāṣṭavarṣadeśīyo harikeśo'bhavacchiśuḥ | nityaṃ tadāprabhṛtyevaṃ śivamekamamanyata
Als der Knabe Harikeśa etwa acht Jahre alt geworden war, hielt er von da an beständig allein Śiva für seine einzige Zuflucht und höchste Wirklichkeit.
Skanda (narrative voice, Kāśīkhaṇḍa context)
Tirtha: Avimukta-Kāśī
Type: kshetra
Listener: Agastya
Scene: An eight-year-old Harikeśa stands with folded hands before a simple Śiva-liṅga, eyes unwavering, the world around fading; a subtle aura suggests inner realization.
FAQs
Single-pointed devotion (eka-niṣṭhā) to Śiva is praised as the mark of true bhakti—even in childhood.
Kāśī is the overarching sacred setting in the Kāśīkhaṇḍa where such Śiva-bhakti is celebrated.
No formal rite; it emphasizes constant inner orientation to Śiva.