Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 20
ज्येष्ठेश्वरो र्च्यः प्रथमं काश्यां श्रेयोर्थिभिर्नरैः । ज्येष्ठागौरी ततोभ्यर्च्या सर्वज्येष्ठमभीप्सुभिः
jyeṣṭheśvaro rcyaḥ prathamaṃ kāśyāṃ śreyorthibhirnaraiḥ | jyeṣṭhāgaurī tatobhyarcyā sarvajyeṣṭhamabhīpsubhiḥ
In Kāśī sollen Menschen, die das höchste Heil begehren, zuerst Jyeṣṭheśvara verehren; danach sollen sie Jyeṣṭhāgaurī anbeten, wodurch die nach höchster Vortrefflichkeit Strebenden zu den Ersten unter den Ersten werden.
Skanda (context of Kāśī Khaṇḍa narration, typically to Agastya)
Tirtha: Jyeṣṭheśvara; Jyeṣṭhāgaurī (Kāśī)
Type: temple
Listener: Śaunaka and sages (frame tradition) / audience of pilgrims (contextual)
Scene: A pilgrim couple in Kāśī offers flowers and bilva to a liṅga labeled Jyeṣṭheśvara, then turns toward a shrine of Jyeṣṭhāgaurī with lamps and red flowers; the ghāṭs and temple spires of Kāśī frame the background.
FAQs
In Kāśī, right order and devotion in worship—Śiva first, then Devī—leads seekers toward śreyas (the highest good).
Kāśī (Vārāṇasī), specifically the shrine of Jyeṣṭheśvara and the worship of Jyeṣṭhāgaurī.
A prescribed sequence of pūjā: first worship Jyeṣṭheśvara, then worship Jyeṣṭhāgaurī for attaining supreme excellence.