Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 35
नारायणेति नरकार्णव तारणेति दामोदरेति मधुहेति चतुर्भुजेति । विश्वंभरेति विरजेति जनार्दनेति क्वास्तीह जन्म जपतां क्व कृतांतभीतिः
nārāyaṇeti narakārṇava tāraṇeti dāmodareti madhuheti caturbhujeti | viśvaṃbhareti virajeti janārdaneti kvāstīha janma japatāṃ kva kṛtāṃtabhītiḥ
“Nārāyaṇa”, “Penyeberang lautan neraka”, “Dāmodara”, “Pembunuh Madhu”, “Yang Berlengan Empat”, “Penyangga semesta”, “Yang Nirmala”, “Janārdana”—bagi mereka yang menjapa demikian, di manakah kelahiran kembali, dan di manakah takut akan Maut?
Skanda (deduced for Kāśīkhaṇḍa context)
Tirtha: Kāśī
Type: kshetra
Scene: A devotee chanting while a dark ocean labeled ‘naraka-arṇava’ recedes; Yama’s shadow fades in the background; above, a four-armed Viṣṇu appears as protective light, with the names forming a garland around the devotee.
FAQs
Remembrance of the Lord’s names grants liberation-oriented fearlessness—overcoming rebirth and the terror of death.
The Kāśī Khaṇḍa context frames the teaching; the verse itself focuses on nāma-japa rather than naming a specific Kāśī tirtha.
Chanting (japa) of these Viṣṇu epithets is recommended as a liberating practice.