Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 27
पुण्यवानितरो वापि मम क्षेत्रस्य सेवया । मुक्तो भवति देवेशि नात्र कार्या विचारणा
puṇyavānitaro vāpi mama kṣetrasya sevayā | mukto bhavati deveśi nātra kāryā vicāraṇā
«Qu’il soit vertueux ou non, en servant Mon kṣetra sacré il obtient la délivrance, ô Dame du Seigneur ; ici, nul besoin d’hésiter.»
Kanakakuṇḍala (contextual: addressing his wife, referred to as deveśī in affectionate/honorific style)
Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta-kṣetra)
Type: kshetra
Listener: Devī (Pārvatī)
Scene: A devotional proclamation in Kāśī: the luminous kṣetra of Śiva, with pilgrims serving—sweeping ghāṭ steps, offering lamps—while the assurance of mokṣa is spoken to Devī.
FAQs
Service to Kāśī-kṣetra is proclaimed as a direct cause of liberation, transcending ordinary calculations of personal merit.
Kāśī-kṣetra itself—presented as ‘My field’ whose service grants mokṣa.
Kṣetra-sevā (service to the sacred region)—a broad prescription that can include temple service, tīrtha attendance, and dharmic conduct within Kāśī.