या पीत्वा कणधूमं वै सहस्रं शरदां पुरा । वरा विद्या त्वया प्राप्ता तस्याः कालोयमागतः
yā pītvā kaṇadhūmaṃ vai sahasraṃ śaradāṃ purā | varā vidyā tvayā prāptā tasyāḥ kāloyamāgataḥ
Pengetahuan luhur yang dahulu engkau peroleh dengan menahan asap partikel selama seribu musim gugur—kini saatnya tiba bagi buahnya untuk bersemi.
Andhaka (deduced from immediate context leading into ‘ityaṃdhakavacaḥ śrutvā…’)
Scene: A speaker recalls an ancient ordeal: a sage-like figure seated in austerity amid drifting ash-smoke and fine particles, seasons passing in a ring of changing foliage; the present moment glows as ‘time of fruition’ arrives.
Austerity and discipline are believed to yield results in their proper time; spiritual power is linked to sustained tapas.
Kāśī is the overarching sacred setting of the Kāśīkhaṇḍa, but this verse focuses on tapas and vidyā rather than a named tīrtha.
No public rite; it references severe austerity (enduring ‘kaṇadhūma’) as the means of acquiring vidyā.