Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 17
ततः शंभुः प्रसन्नोभूऽत्तस्यै नद्यै शुभात्मने । वरं वृणीष्व सुभगे यत्तुभ्यं रोचतेऽनघे
tataḥ śaṃbhuḥ prasannobhū'ttasyai nadyai śubhātmane | varaṃ vṛṇīṣva subhage yattubhyaṃ rocate'naghe
Alors Śambhu (Śiva), réjoui par ce fleuve à la nature propice, dit : «Ô bienheureuse, ô sans faute, choisis une grâce, tout ce que tu désires.»
Skanda (narrating); direct speech: Śiva to Narmadā
Tirtha: Pilipilā Tīrtha (contextual) / Kāśī-kṣetra
Type: tirtha
Listener: null
Scene: Śiva appears radiant and benevolent before Narmadā (river-goddess), who stands with folded hands near the newly consecrated liṅga; Śiva’s gesture of boon-giving (varada-mudrā) and compassionate gaze dominate the scene.
FAQs
Sincere worship at a sacred place culminates in Śiva’s direct grace—prasāda expressed as boon-giving.
The immediate context is Kāśī (and Pilipilā Tīrtha) where Narmadā’s worship wins Śiva’s pleasure.
Not a new prescription here; it presents the fruit (phala) of the prior liṅga-pratiṣṭhā and devotion.