Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 33
अन्वेषणे ढुंढिरयं प्रथितोस्तिधातुः सर्वार्थढुंढिततया तव ढुंढि नाम । काशीप्रवेशमपि को लभतेत्र देही तोषं विना तव विनायकढुंढिराज
anveṣaṇe ḍhuṃḍhirayaṃ prathitostidhātuḥ sarvārthaḍhuṃḍhitatayā tava ḍhuṃḍhi nāma | kāśīpraveśamapi ko labhatetra dehī toṣaṃ vinā tava vināyakaḍhuṃḍhirāja
Parce que la racine «ḍhuṃḍh» est renommée au sens de «chercher», et parce que Tu es Celui qui scrute et accomplit toute fin, on Te nomme Dhūṇḍhi. Ô Vināyaka, Dhūṇḍhirāja : sans d’abord obtenir Ta satisfaction, quel être incarné pourrait ici seulement obtenir l’entrée à Kāśī ?
Skanda (deduced for Kāśīkhaṇḍa dialogues, often Skanda → Agastya)
Tirtha: Dhūṇḍhirāja Vināyaka
Type: temple
Listener: Vināyaka Dhūṇḍhirāja (addressed)
Scene: At a Kāśī lane-temple threshold, Dhūṇḍhirāja Gaṇeśa sits as guardian; pilgrims with travel bundles pause, fold hands, and offer flowers. A subtle motif of ‘searching’ appears—Gaṇeśa’s gaze ‘finding’ the devotee’s aim like a lamp illuminating hidden paths.
FAQs
Even the holiest pilgrimage—entry into Kāśī—should be approached with humility and proper propitiation; Vināyaka’s grace removes obstacles and authorizes sacred access.
Kāśī (Vārāṇasī) is praised, with emphasis on the threshold principle that entry into Kāśī is secured through Dhūṇḍhirāja Vināyaka’s satisfaction.
No explicit rite (snāna/dāna/japa) is stated in this verse; it gives a general prescription of obtaining Vināyaka Dhūṇḍhirāja’s toṣa (propitiatory satisfaction) before seeking Kāśī-praveśa.