Skanda Purana — Prabhasa Khanda, Shloka 20
तद्गृहे निधनं प्राप्तः पापात्मा सर्वभक्षकः । वाराणसीप्रभावेन न प्राप्तो नरकं तदा
tadgṛhe nidhanaṃ prāptaḥ pāpātmā sarvabhakṣakaḥ | vārāṇasīprabhāvena na prāpto narakaṃ tadā
In ihrem Haus fand er den Tod – sündig und alles verschlingend; doch durch die geistige Wirkkraft von Vārāṇasī fiel er damals nicht in die Hölle.
Sūta (deduced: Purāṇic narration within Prabhāsa Khaṇḍa)
Tirtha: Vārāṇasī (Kāśī)
Type: kshetra
Listener: Pilgrimage audience seeking tīrtha-phala knowledge
Scene: A sinner dies in a humble house; above or behind, an unseen radiance symbolizing Kāśī’s spiritual potency prevents the descent into hell—Yama’s messengers halted at a threshold of light.
FAQs
A great tīrtha’s prabhāva (sacred potency) can mitigate immediate descent into naraka, highlighting the mysterious mercy tied to holy places.
Vārāṇasī (Kāśī) is explicitly praised for its “prabhāva” (spiritual power).
None directly; the verse implies the salvific effect of dying/being connected with Kāśī’s sphere of influence.