Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 8
भवतोपि महादेव भवतापहरो हि यः । रूपेण भवता तुल्यः स नो भर्ता भवत्विति
bhavatopi mahādeva bhavatāpaharo hi yaḥ | rūpeṇa bhavatā tulyaḥ sa no bhartā bhavatviti
«Ô Mahādeva, que celui qui peut te rivaliser—celui même qui peut ravir ton orgueil—soit notre époux; égal à toi en beauté, qu’il devienne notre Seigneur.»
Kumārikās
Tirtha: Kāśī (Vaiśveśvarī/Avimukta)
Type: kshetra
Scene: The maidens, earnest and radiant, present their bold request; Śiva stands luminous, the standard of beauty and power; the composition contrasts their aspiration with his serene supremacy—crescent moon, matted locks, and tranquil smile.
FAQs
Desires shaped by devotion seek the highest ideal; the verse frames aspiration in relation to the divine standard (Śiva).
Indirectly Kāśī, since the boon-dialogue is situated in the Kāśī-khaṇḍa’s sacred setting of Viśveśvara.
None explicitly; the request arises as the fruit of prior tapas and worship.