Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 67
जातिहीनाश्च चंडालाः श्वपचा ह्यंत्यजा ह्यमी । शिवभक्तिपरा नित्यं ते यांति परमां गतिम्
jātihīnāśca caṃḍālāḥ śvapacā hyaṃtyajā hyamī | śivabhaktiparā nityaṃ te yāṃti paramāṃ gatim
Même ceux qui sont hors du rang des castes—Caṇḍālas, cuiseurs de chien et autres dits « les plus bas »—s’ils demeurent constamment voués à la bhakti de Śiva, atteignent la suprême destinée.
Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) narrating to sages (deduced)
Tirtha: Kedāra
Type: kshetra
Listener: dvijāḥ and general audience
Scene: A diverse group—Caṇḍāla, śvapaca, and other marginalized figures—stand with folded hands before Śiva’s liṅga; a luminous path or aura symbolizes ‘paramā gati’ opening to them through devotion.
FAQs
Devotion to Śiva overrides social stigma; sincere bhakti leads to the highest liberation.
The Kedārakhaṇḍa context magnifies Kedāra’s Śaiva ethos: the tīrtha’s dharma culminates in universal access to Śiva’s grace.
No specific ritual is mandated; the essential ‘practice’ is constant Śiva-bhakti.