Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 17
नरो न रोगी यदिहाविहाय सहायभूतां सकलस्य जंतोः । काशीमनाशी सुकृतैकराशिमन्यत्र यातुं यततां न चान्यः
naro na rogī yadihāvihāya sahāyabhūtāṃ sakalasya jaṃtoḥ | kāśīmanāśī sukṛtaikarāśimanyatra yātuṃ yatatāṃ na cānyaḥ
Seseorang sungguh sakit bila ia meninggalkan Kāśī di sini—penolong bagi segala makhluk, tak binasa, satu-satunya timbunan kebajikan—lalu berusaha pergi ke tempat lain; bukan ke mana-mana, hanya ‘ke tempat lain’ saja.
Skanda (deduced; Kāśīkhaṇḍa frame commonly Skanda → Agastya)
Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta)
Type: kshetra
Listener: null
Scene: A physician-like sage points to Kāśī as the true medicine; a pilgrim with anxious eyes looks toward distant roads labeled ‘anyatra’, while Kāśī appears as a compassionate goddess-city offering shelter to beings.
FAQs
To abandon Kāśī after reaching it is portrayed as a kind of spiritual illness—rejecting what supports all beings and leads toward liberation.
Kāśī (Vārāṇasī), called imperishable and universally helpful.
None directly; it is a strong admonition to remain devoted to Kāśī rather than seeking lesser alternatives.