Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 32
किमत्र नो संति पुरः सहस्रशः पदेपदे सर्वसमृद्धिभूमयः । परं न काशी सदृशीदृशोः पदं क्वचिद्गता मे भवता शपे शिव
kimatra no saṃti puraḥ sahasraśaḥ padepade sarvasamṛddhibhūmayaḥ | paraṃ na kāśī sadṛśīdṛśoḥ padaṃ kvacidgatā me bhavatā śape śiva
Gibt es hier nicht tausend Städte, und bei jedem Schritt Länder voller jeglichen Wohlstands? Doch keine gleicht Kāśī, dem eigentlichen Ziel der Augen. Wenn ich je anders gesprochen habe, o Śiva, so halte mich dafür zur Rechenschaft.
Pārvatī
Tirtha: Kāśī
Type: kshetra
Listener: Śiva (Śiva addressed as witness)
Scene: A devotee gestures toward a panorama of many splendid cities, yet points decisively to Kāśī as unmatched; the devotee invokes Śiva as witness to an oath of unwavering praise.
FAQs
Material prosperity is common, but Kāśī’s unique spiritual status makes it incomparable.
Kāśī (Vārāṇasī), declared unequaled among all cities.
No direct prescription; the verse reinforces the value of visiting/seeing Kāśī.