Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 89
अवनादोमिति ख्यातं सर्वस्यास्य प्रभावतः । भक्तमुन्नयते यस्मात्तदोमिति य ईरितः
avanādomiti khyātaṃ sarvasyāsya prabhāvataḥ | bhaktamunnayate yasmāttadomiti ya īritaḥ
આ ‘અવનાદ-ૐ’ તરીકે ખ્યાત છે; તેના પ્રભાવથી આ સર્વ પ્રપંચ પ્રગટે છે. અને તે ભક્તને ઉન્નત કરે છે તેથી તેને ‘ૐ’ કહેવામાં આવે છે.
Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)
Tirtha: Kāśī
Type: kshetra
Listener: Naimiṣāraṇya sages (frame; not explicit in verse)
Scene: The praṇava Oṁ appears as a descending stream of nāda energizing creation, while simultaneously lifting a devotee upward toward the luminous source.
FAQs
Oṃ is both the cosmic sound-power behind manifestation and the mantra that elevates the bhakta toward liberation.
The verse belongs to the Kāśīkhaṇḍa’s praise of Kāśī, where Praṇava-centered teaching is part of the city’s spiritual greatness.
Implicitly, japa/utterance of ‘Oṃ’ is supported, but no formal procedure (counts, times, vrata) is specified.