Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 49
मा गच्छंत्विह वै नागा नराः स्वस्था भवंत्वितः । मयि प्रशासति क्षोणीं सुराः स्वस्था भवंत्विति
mā gacchaṃtviha vai nāgā narāḥ svasthā bhavaṃtvitaḥ | mayi praśāsati kṣoṇīṃ surāḥ svasthā bhavaṃtviti
“Janganlah para Nāga pergi dari sini; biarlah manusia tinggal tenteram di sini. Selama aku memerintah bumi, biarlah para Sura (Deva) pun tetap aman di ranah mereka sendiri.”
Royal proclamation / narrator reporting Divodāsa’s order
Tirtha: Kāśī
Type: kshetra
Listener: Residents and beings of Kāśī (humans, nāgas) and, by implication, devas
Scene: A proclamation emphasizing protection: nāgas remain, people remain secure; devas remain secure in their own sphere. Visualize nāga figures near water/underground entrances, citizens calm, and a celestial band of devas at peace.
FAQs
A dharmic ruler prioritizes protection and stability for all beings—humans and other realms—so that each may remain ‘svastha’ (in rightful well-being).
Kāśī is the governing sacred space in the narrative; the verse supports Kāśī’s portrayal as a realm of ordered dharma under rightful rule.
No ritual is specified; it is an administrative proclamation expressing rājadharma.