Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 160
मद्भक्तियुक्तोपि विना त्वदीयां भक्तिं न काशी वसतिं लभेत । गणेषु देवेषु हि मानवेषु तदग्रमान्यो भव दंडपाणे
madbhaktiyuktopi vinā tvadīyāṃ bhaktiṃ na kāśī vasatiṃ labheta | gaṇeṣu deveṣu hi mānaveṣu tadagramānyo bhava daṃḍapāṇe
ទោះបីជាមានភក្តិចំពោះខ្ញុំក៏ដោយ បើគ្មានភក្តិចំពោះអ្នក នោះមិនអាចទទួលបានការស្នាក់នៅកាសីបានទេ។ ដូច្នេះ ឱ ដណ្ឌបាណី ក្នុងចំណោមគណៈរបស់ខ្ញុំ ក្នុងចំណោមទេវតា និងក្នុងចំណោមមនុស្សផងដែរ—សូមក្លាយជាអ្នកដ៏លើកលែង និងគួរគោរពបំផុត។
Śiva (addressing Daṇḍapāṇi; inferred from 'madbhakti' and direct vocative)
Tirtha: Kāśī (Kālabhairava/Daṇḍapāṇi kṣetrapāla)
Type: kshetra
Listener: Daṇḍapāṇi (Kālabhairava)
Scene: Śiva addresses Daṇḍapāṇi, elevating him as foremost; Bhairava stands vigilant with staff (daṇḍa), dog mount nearby, guarding the thresholds of Kāśī’s lanes and temples.
FAQs
Kāśī is portrayed as a divinely regulated sacred space where devotion must align with Śiva’s appointed power and guardianship.
Kāśī (Vārāṇasī) as a protected divine residence (vasati) with spiritual prerequisites.
No formal rite is specified; the prescription is devotional allegiance (bhakti) to the designated guardian figure, Daṇḍapāṇi.