Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 51
कृत्वाप्यघान्येव महांत्यपीह धर्मेश्वरार्चां सकृदेव कुर्वन् । कुतो बिभेति प्रियबंधुरेव तव त्वदीयार्चित लिंगभक्तः
kṛtvāpyaghānyeva mahāṃtyapīha dharmeśvarārcāṃ sakṛdeva kurvan | kuto bibheti priyabaṃdhureva tava tvadīyārcita liṃgabhaktaḥ
Selbst wenn einer in dieser Welt große Sünden begangen hat: Verehrt er Dharmeśvara auch nur ein einziges Mal, wie sollte er noch Furcht haben? Gleichsam wird er dein lieber Verwandter, denn er ist ein Bhakta des Liṅga, das als das Deine verehrt wird.
Śiva (deduced, addressing Dharma)
Tirtha: Dharmeśvara (liṅga)
Type: kshetra
Listener: Dharma (Dharmarāja)
Scene: A repentant sinner performs a single worship of Dharmeśvara; fear dissolves; Dharma regards him as a dear kinsman due to devotion to the liṅga associated with Dharma’s own worship.
FAQs
Even a single act of sincere worship can transform the sinner’s destiny into fearlessness through Śiva’s grace.
The Dharmeśvara shrine in Kāśī (within the Dharma-pīṭha context of this chapter).
Performing dharmeśvarārcā (worship of Dharmeśvara) even once.