Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 38
न नाकलोके सुखमस्ति तादृशं कुतस्तु पातालतलेऽतिसुंदरे । वार्तापि मर्त्ये सुखसंश्रया क्व वा काश्यां हि यादृक्तनुमात्रधारिणि
na nākaloke sukhamasti tādṛśaṃ kutastu pātālatale'tisuṃdare | vārtāpi martye sukhasaṃśrayā kva vā kāśyāṃ hi yādṛktanumātradhāriṇi
Kebahagiaan seperti itu tidak ada bahkan di surga; apalagi di lapisan Pātāla yang teramat indah. Di dunia fana, di manakah ada pembicaraan tentang sukacita seperti di Kāśī, yang bahkan bagi mereka yang sekadar memanggul tubuh pun hadir?
Skanda (deduced; Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda to Agastya)
Tirtha: Kāśī
Type: kshetra
Scene: A comparative tableau: on one side Indra’s svarga with apsaras and jeweled halls; below, Pātāla’s ornate beauty; at center, Kāśī’s ghāṭas with a simple pilgrim experiencing a deeper radiance of joy, outshining both realms.
FAQs
Kāśī’s spiritual joy is portrayed as surpassing even heavenly pleasures, accessible even to ordinary embodied people.
Kāśī (Vārāṇasī), praised as the highest seat of sukha and sanctity.
None; the verse is comparative praise (māhātmya) of Kāśī’s unique bliss.