Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 78
अकामिता त्वनौद्धत्यमरागित्वमहिंसनम् । अप्रतिग्रहवृत्तिश्च मतिश्चानुग्रहात्मिका
akāmitā tvanauddhatyamarāgitvamahiṃsanam | apratigrahavṛttiśca matiścānugrahātmikā
Freiheit von selbstsüchtigem Begehren, Abwesenheit von Hochmut, Unanhaftung, Gewaltlosigkeit (Ahimsa), eine Lebensweise, die keine unrechtmäßigen Gaben annimmt, und ein Geist, der zu Mitgefühl und Gnade neigt—dies sind die gepriesenen Eigenschaften dessen, der Kāśī dient.
Skanda
Tirtha: Kāśī (seva through virtues)
Type: kshetra
Scene: A serene Kāśī devotee declines an improper gift, offers help to the needy, feeds animals gently, and walks past bustling markets without attachment; the Gaṅgā and temple spires frame the scene, emphasizing detachment amid sacred city life.
FAQs
The greatness of Kāśī is approached through inner refinement—desirelessness, humility, non-violence, integrity, and compassion.
Kāśī (Vārāṇasī) is the contextual sacred place whose service is tied to elevated ethical and devotional qualities.
It prescribes ethical restraints and virtues—ahiṃsā, detachment, non-arrogance, and apratigraha—rather than a specific external rite.