Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 8
अथ विज्ञापयांचक्रे गौरी गिरिशमेकदा । अच्छिन्नानंदसंदोहः कुतः क्षेत्रेऽत्र तद्वद
atha vijñāpayāṃcakre gaurī giriśamekadā | acchinnānaṃdasaṃdohaḥ kutaḥ kṣetre'tra tadvada
Kemudian pada suatu ketika, Gaurī memohon kepada Giriśa: “Wahai Bhagavān, katakanlah—bagaimana di kṣetra suci ini terdapat limpahan kebahagiaan yang tak terputus?”
Skanda (narrating); direct speech by Gaurī to Śiva
Tirtha: Kāśī-kṣetra (Ānandavana/Avimukta)
Type: kshetra
Scene: In Ānandavana, Gaurī turns to Śiva with reverent curiosity, asking how this kṣetra holds an unbroken mass of bliss; the setting is tranquil—sacred trees, subtle liṅgas, and a luminous atmosphere suggesting continuous ananda.
FAQs
The bliss of Kāśī is not accidental; it is grounded in a sacred metaphysical cause that the tradition explains through Śiva’s presence.
The Kāśī-kṣetra, especially Ānandavana.
None; it introduces a theological inquiry about the nature of the kṣetra.