Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 50
यो धर्मपीठं प्रतिलभ्य काश्यां स्वश्रेयसे नो यततेऽत्र मर्त्यः । कथं स धर्मत्वमिवातितेजाः करिष्यति स्वं कृतकृत्यमेव । त्वया यथाप्ता इह धर्मराज मनोरथास्ते गुरुभिस्तपोभिः । तथैव धर्मेश्वरभक्तिभाजां कामाः फलिष्यंति न संशयोत्र
yo dharmapīṭhaṃ pratilabhya kāśyāṃ svaśreyase no yatate'tra martyaḥ | kathaṃ sa dharmatvamivātitejāḥ kariṣyati svaṃ kṛtakṛtyameva | tvayā yathāptā iha dharmarāja manorathāste gurubhistapobhiḥ | tathaiva dharmeśvarabhaktibhājāṃ kāmāḥ phaliṣyaṃti na saṃśayotra
カーシー—まさにダルマの座—に到りながら、ここで自らの最高善のために努めぬ凡夫は、どうして真の目的を成し遂げようか。あたかも輝きだけで「ダルマそのものの位」を得られるかのように。おおダルマラージャよ、汝がここで大いなる苦行（タパス）によって望みを成就したように、ダルメーシュヴァラに帰依する者の願いもまた必ず実を結ぶ。ここに疑いはない。
Śiva (deduced, addressing Dharmarāja/Dharma)
Tirtha: Kāśī (Dharma-pīṭha) with Dharmeśvara focus
Type: kshetra
Listener: Dharma (Dharmarāja)
Scene: Śiva admonishes that one who reaches Kāśī yet fails to strive for highest good wastes the Dharma-seat; Dharmarāja is recalled performing great tapas and attaining aims; devotees of Dharmeśvara are promised certain fruition.
FAQs
Having reached Kāśī, one should actively pursue spiritual welfare; devotion to Dharmeśvara is assured to fructify, as demonstrated by Dharmarāja’s tapas.
Kāśī itself is praised as the ‘Dharma-pīṭha’ (seat of Dharma), with Dharmeśvara as its empowering deity.
Tapas (austerity) and dharmeśvara-bhakti (devotional worship) are upheld as the means for attaining desired ends.