Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 99
परपीडाकरं कर्म काश्यां नित्यं विवर्जयेत् । तदेव चेत्किमत्र स्यात्काशीवासो दुरात्मनाम्
parapīḍākaraṃ karma kāśyāṃ nityaṃ vivarjayet | tadeva cetkimatra syātkāśīvāso durātmanām
À Kāśī, qu’on évite toujours les actes qui font souffrir autrui. Si l’on y commet précisément ce tort, quel bien la résidence à Kāśī pourrait-elle apporter aux âmes perverses ?
Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)
Tirtha: Kāśī
Type: kshetra
Scene: On a Kāśī lane near the ghats, a would-be resident raises a hand to harm another, but the looming presence of Śiva’s city—temple spire, trident banner, and the calm Gaṅgā—casts a moral spotlight; the aggressor’s shadow appears distorted, suggesting inner wickedness.
FAQs
The fruits of sacred residence depend on dharma; harming others cancels the purpose of living in Kāśī.
Kāśī (Vārāṇasī), as a dharma-sensitive mokṣa-kṣetra.
A clear behavioral prescription: avoid para-pīḍā (causing harm) while in Kāśī.