Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 33
सा तथैति प्रतिज्ञाय नित्यं व्रतपरायणा । अष्टषष्टिसु तीर्थेषु वाराणस्यादिषु क्रमात्
sā tathaiti pratijñāya nityaṃ vrataparāyaṇā | aṣṭaṣaṣṭisu tīrtheṣu vārāṇasyādiṣu kramāt
Ia pun berjanji demikian, senantiasa tekun dalam vrata (laku suci). Lalu, menurut urutan, ia pergi ke enam puluh delapan tīrtha—bermula dari Vārāṇasī dan seterusnya.
Narrator (contextual Purāṇic narration within Nāgarakhaṇḍa)
Tirtha: Vārāṇasī (Kāśī) as ādi-sthāna in the aṣṭaṣaṣṭi-tīrtha-krama
Type: kshetra
Scene: A steadfast sādhvī takes a vow and sets out; the first vista is Vārāṇasī’s ghāṭas with rising sun over Gaṅgā, then a procession-like journey unfolding in sequence.
FAQs
A vow becomes effective through sustained practice—regular observance and orderly pilgrimage embody sincere repentance.
Vārāṇasī (Kāśī) is explicitly named as the beginning of the tīrtha-sequence, highlighting its primacy in pilgrimage culture.
The prescription here is practical: undertake the tīrtha-circuit in order while remaining steadfast in daily vrata observance.