काऽलीकमालयो वक्ति स्निग्धमुग्धेसखीजने । तद्दर्शनेन स्थास्यंति प्राणा यास्यंति चान्यथा
kā'līkamālayo vakti snigdhamugdhesakhījane | taddarśanena sthāsyaṃti prāṇā yāsyaṃti cānyathā
“Sungguh ini bukan dusta,” kata Mālaya kepada lingkar sahabat yang lembut dan polos. “Bila aku memandangnya, prāṇa akan bertahan; jika tidak, prāṇa akan pergi.”
Skanda (narrating within Kāśīkhaṇḍa context, typically to Agastya)
Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta-kṣetra)
Type: kshetra
Scene: Mālaya speaks reassuringly to the innocent, affectionate friends; the heroine’s fragility is palpable—life hangs on the promise of seeing him again.
Darśana is presented as life-giving; symbolically, vision of the beloved/divine sustains the prāṇas and restores inner stability.
Kāśī is the overarching sacred frame of the Kāśīkhaṇḍa, where darśana and devotion are heightened themes.
No explicit ritual is prescribed; the verse emphasizes darśana as a transformative act.