Shloka 24
पुनश्च ब्रह्मणा सृष्टौ कृतायां स्थाप्यते द्विजाः । कर्मणा कर्षणाच्चैव काशीति परिपठ्यते
punaśca brahmaṇā sṛṣṭau kṛtāyāṃ sthāpyate dvijāḥ | karmaṇā karṣaṇāccaiva kāśīti paripaṭhyate
And again, when Brahmā brings forth creation, the twice-born (dvija) are established there. And because, by its spiritual karmic power, it draws all beings, it is traditionally recited and known by the name “Kāśī.”
Suta Goswami
Tattva Level: pasha
Shiva Form: Paśupatinātha
Jyotirlinga: Viśvanātha
Sthala Purana: At each renewed creation by Brahmā, the dvijas are (re)established in Kāśī; the etymology ‘Kāśī’ is linked to karṣaṇa—its power to ‘draw’ beings through sacred karma toward purification and ultimately liberation under Viśveśvara’s lordship.
Significance: Kāśī is presented as a dharma-and-mokṣa magnet: it attracts beings toward śrauta/smārta and Śaiva observances, culminating in Viśvanātha’s grace; supports the idea of Kāśī as a perennial seat of Veda and Śiva-bhakti.
Role: teaching
Offering: naivedya
Cosmic Event: Recurring sṛṣṭi cycles: Brahmā’s repeated creations, with Kāśī functioning as a stable dharmic anchor within cyclic cosmology.
FAQs
The verse explains Kāśī as a divinely sustained sacred seat that persists through cycles of creation, and as a kṣetra whose spiritual potency “draws” beings toward dharma and liberation—aligned with Shaiva Siddhanta where Shiva’s grace operates through holy places and right action.
In the Koṭirudrasaṃhitā, Kāśī is revered in relation to the Jyotirlinga tradition; the city’s power to attract seekers is understood as the manifest (saguṇa) mercy of Lord Shiva, making Linga-worship and pilgrimage especially transformative there.
The practical takeaway is to engage in karma rooted in Shiva-bhakti—pilgrimage to Kāśī, Linga-darśana, japa of the Panchakshara (Om Namaḥ Śivāya), and disciplined conduct—since the verse highlights sacred action (karma) as the means by which Kāśī draws the devotee toward Shiva.