Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 48
निवसंति मम क्षेत्रे मम भक्तिं न कुर्वते । मम लिंगधरा ये नो न तानुपदिशाम्यहम्
nivasaṃti mama kṣetre mama bhaktiṃ na kurvate | mama liṃgadharā ye no na tānupadiśāmyaham
Mais ceux qui demeurent dans mon kṣetra et ne pratiquent pas la dévotion envers moi—même s’ils portent mon liṅga—je ne les instruis pas.
Śiva (Hara/Bhava)
Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta)
Type: kshetra
Listener: Pārvatī / Skanda Purāṇa audience
Scene: Two figures in Kāśī: one wears a liṅga but is indifferent, turned away from worship; another, humble and devoted, lights a lamp. Śiva’s gaze and blessing fall on the devoted, while the indifferent remains outside the circle of instruction.
FAQs
Sacred place and external symbols are not enough; inner devotion is the true qualification for Śiva’s guidance and grace.
Kāśī (Vārāṇasī), presented as Śiva’s own kṣetra where authentic bhakti is paramount.
The verse implicitly critiques empty ritualism; it prescribes sincere bhakti alongside any Śaiva observance such as liṅga-dhāraṇa.