Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 6
कुतः पंचनदं नाम तस्य तीर्थस्य षण्मुख । कुतश्च सर्वतीर्थेभ्यस्तदासीत्पावनं परम्
kutaḥ paṃcanadaṃ nāma tasya tīrthasya ṣaṇmukha | kutaśca sarvatīrthebhyastadāsītpāvanaṃ param
O Ṣaṇmukha, from what cause did that tīrtha receive the name ‘Pañcanada’? And from what reason did it become the supreme purifier among all holy fords?
Agastya (addressing Skanda/Ṣaṇmukha)
Tirtha: Pañcanada-tīrtha
Type: ghat
Listener: Ṣaṇmukha (Skanda) addressed by the questioner
Scene: A disciple or sage addresses Ṣaṇmukha (Skanda) with folded hands, pointing toward a river-ford; the question hangs in the air as a narrative portal, with Kāśī’s ghats and temples in the background.
FAQs
Sacred places are not random: their names and powers are rooted in divine events and dharmic causes, inviting inquiry and faithful understanding.
Pañcanada Tīrtha in Kāśī, whose name and exceptional purifying power are being requested for explanation.
None directly; the verse functions as a formal question that introduces the tīrtha’s origin-story and merits.