Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 50
यो धर्मपीठं प्रतिलभ्य काश्यां स्वश्रेयसे नो यततेऽत्र मर्त्यः । कथं स धर्मत्वमिवातितेजाः करिष्यति स्वं कृतकृत्यमेव । त्वया यथाप्ता इह धर्मराज मनोरथास्ते गुरुभिस्तपोभिः । तथैव धर्मेश्वरभक्तिभाजां कामाः फलिष्यंति न संशयोत्र
yo dharmapīṭhaṃ pratilabhya kāśyāṃ svaśreyase no yatate'tra martyaḥ | kathaṃ sa dharmatvamivātitejāḥ kariṣyati svaṃ kṛtakṛtyameva | tvayā yathāptā iha dharmarāja manorathāste gurubhistapobhiḥ | tathaiva dharmeśvarabhaktibhājāṃ kāmāḥ phaliṣyaṃti na saṃśayotra
A mortal who, having reached Kāśī—the very seat of Dharma—does not strive here for his own highest good: how could such a one accomplish his true purpose, as though he might attain “Dharmahood” itself by mere brilliance? O Dharmarāja, just as you obtained your cherished aims here through mighty austerities (tapas), so too will the desires of those devoted to Dharmeśvara surely bear fruit—of this there is no doubt.
Śiva (deduced, addressing Dharmarāja/Dharma)
Tirtha: Kāśī (Dharma-pīṭha) with Dharmeśvara focus
Type: kshetra
Listener: Dharma (Dharmarāja)
Scene: Śiva admonishes that one who reaches Kāśī yet fails to strive for highest good wastes the Dharma-seat; Dharmarāja is recalled performing great tapas and attaining aims; devotees of Dharmeśvara are promised certain fruition.
FAQs
Having reached Kāśī, one should actively pursue spiritual welfare; devotion to Dharmeśvara is assured to fructify, as demonstrated by Dharmarāja’s tapas.
Kāśī itself is praised as the ‘Dharma-pīṭha’ (seat of Dharma), with Dharmeśvara as its empowering deity.
Tapas (austerity) and dharmeśvara-bhakti (devotional worship) are upheld as the means for attaining desired ends.