Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 61
जलाशयानां सर्वेषामयमेकतमः पतिः । प्रचेता यादसांनाथः साक्षी सर्वेषुकर्मसु
jalāśayānāṃ sarveṣāmayamekatamaḥ patiḥ | pracetā yādasāṃnāthaḥ sākṣī sarveṣukarmasu
Di antara segala waduk dan perairan, Dialah penguasa yang utama—Pracetā, Varuṇa, tuan segala makhluk air, saksi atas semua perbuatan.
Skanda (deduced: Kāśī Khaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)
Tirtha: Varuṇa (as jalādhipati)
Type: kshetra
Listener: Ṛṣi-audience (contextual)
Scene: Varuṇa enthroned over a vast ocean, holding pāśa (noose), surrounded by makaras and aquatic beings; below, rivers and lakes shimmer as if reflecting all deeds.
FAQs
Sacred waters are under divine guardianship, and Varuṇa—witness of karma—upholds moral order in human conduct.
Kāśī’s sacred waters are implied, while the verse establishes Varuṇa as the presiding authority over water-abodes everywhere.
No direct rite is prescribed; the verse provides theological grounding for water-related dharma and tīrtha conduct.