Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 61
तीर्थभारैः स सुलभो न कौलीन्येन कन्यके । न वेदशास्त्राभ्यसनैर्न चैश्वर्यबलेन वै
tīrthabhāraiḥ sa sulabho na kaulīnyena kanyake | na vedaśāstrābhyasanairna caiśvaryabalena vai
On ne l’obtient pas aisément par des monceaux de pèlerinages, ô jeune fille ; ni par la noblesse de naissance, ni par l’étude des Veda et des śāstra, ni même par la puissance de la richesse et de la souveraineté.
Pitā (Father)
Tirtha: Kāśī-kṣetra (implied)
Type: kshetra
Listener: Kanyā (maiden)
Scene: A didactic tableau: pilgrims carrying bundles labeled 'tīrtha', a noble family, a scholar with manuscripts, a king with insignia—yet the divine remains distant; a humble ascetic stands nearer through sincerity.
FAQs
External credentials—pilgrimage-count, pedigree, learning, or wealth—do not guarantee the highest dharmic attainment without inner transformation.
Tīrtha is referenced generically; the teaching belongs to the Kāśī Khanda worldview but does not specify a single site.
No specific ritual; it cautions against relying solely on externals such as pilgrimage or scholarship.