Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 10
आवश्येषु सदोद्युक्ता ये जाता यत्रकुत्रचित् । सर्वभोगसमृद्धास्ते वसंत्यत्र पुरोत्तमे
āvaśyeṣu sadodyuktā ye jātā yatrakutracit | sarvabhogasamṛddhāste vasaṃtyatra purottame
જે આવશ્યક કર્તવ્યોમાં સદા ઉદ્યત રહે છે—જ્યાં ક્યાંય જન્મ્યા હોય તોય—તે સર્વ ભોગોથી સમૃદ્ધ બની આ પરમોત્તમ નગરીમાં વસે છે।
Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda speaking to Agastya)
Tirtha: Kāśī (Purottamā)
Type: kshetra
Listener: Purāṇic audience
Scene: A panoramic view of Kāśī: prosperous households, temples, and ghats; among them a diligent devotee performing daily duties—sweeping a shrine, offering lamps, serving guests—symbolizing ‘āvaśyaka’ diligence leading to abundance and residence in the holy city.
FAQs
Birth is secondary to conduct; diligence in duty leads to prosperity and the grace of residence in sacred Kāśī.
Kāśī, praised as purottama, the foremost city.
Not a specific ritual; it emphasizes steady performance of obligatory duties (āvaśya-karma).