Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 9
भविष्यति न संदेहो मित्रावरुणनंदन । ततोपि तिष्ये संप्राप्ते काश्यत्यंतं सुदुर्लभा
bhaviṣyati na saṃdeho mitrāvaruṇanaṃdana | tatopi tiṣye saṃprāpte kāśyatyaṃtaṃ sudurlabhā
Ainsi en sera-t-il, sans aucun doute, ô fils de Mitra et de Varuṇa. Et lorsque viendra la période de Tiṣya, Kāśī deviendra extrêmement difficile à atteindre (quant à l’accès et à la disponibilité).
Skanda
Tirtha: Kāśī
Type: kshetra
Listener: Mitra-Varuṇa-nandana (Vasiṣṭha)
Scene: A sage is addressed directly—'son of Mitra and Varuṇa'—as the narrator foretells a future tightening of access: Kāśī’s lanes fade into mist; gates close; the riverfront becomes distant, conveying impending durlabhatā and urgency.
FAQs
Sacred opportunity should be valued now; future times may restrict access to supremely liberating kṣetras like Kāśī.
Kāśī (Vārāṇasī) as an exceptionally rare-to-attain sacred kṣetra in later periods.
None directly; it serves as an exhortation-by-implication to undertake Kāśī pilgrimage and worship while accessible.