Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 23
इति नानाविधै रूपैश्चरन्काश्यां ग्रहेश्वरः । न कदापि जने क्वापि च्छिद्रं प्राप कदाचन
iti nānāvidhai rūpaiścarankāśyāṃ graheśvaraḥ | na kadāpi jane kvāpi cchidraṃ prāpa kadācana
Ainsi, parcourant Kāśī sous des déguisements innombrables, le Seigneur des planètes ne put jamais trouver—nulle part, en personne—ne fût-ce qu’un seul défaut.
Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa narration style; immediate speaker not explicit in this verse)
Tirtha: Kāśī / Avimukta-kṣetra
Type: kshetra
Listener: null
Scene: Graheśvara (lord of planets) wanders through Kāśī in shifting disguises—ascetic, merchant, mendicant—peering into faces and deeds, yet finding no flaw; the city’s ghāṭas and temples glow with an unseen Śaiva aura.
FAQs
Kāśī is portrayed as a realm of heightened dharma where the virtuous are difficult to fault, emphasizing the sanctifying power of the kṣetra.
Kāśī (Vārāṇasī) as a whole kṣetra is glorified, rather than a single pond or shrine in this verse.
No specific rite is prescribed here; the verse focuses on the moral-spiritual excellence associated with dwelling/roaming in Kāśī.