Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 15
क्व काशिका विश्वपदप्रकाशिका क्व कार्यमन्यत्परितोतिदुःखम् । तत्पंडितोन्यत्र कुतः प्रयाति किं याति कूष्मांडफलं ह्यजास्ये
kva kāśikā viśvapadaprakāśikā kva kāryamanyatparitotiduḥkham | tatpaṃḍitonyatra kutaḥ prayāti kiṃ yāti kūṣmāṃḍaphalaṃ hyajāsye
កន្លែងណាមានកាសិកា—អ្នកបំភ្លឺស្ថានដ៏អធិកសម្រាប់សត្វលោកទាំងអស់—ហើយកន្លែងណាមានការងារផ្សេង ដែលមានតែទុក្ខព័ទ្ធជុំវិញ? បណ្ឌិតពិតប្រាកដនឹងទៅកន្លែងផ្សេងពីណា? តើផ្លែក្ដៅ (ល្ពៅ) ធ្លាប់ចូលមាត់ពពែឬ?
Skanda (deduced; Kāśīkhaṇḍa frame commonly Skanda → Agastya)
Tirtha: Kāśikā (Kāśī)
Type: kshetra
Scene: A luminous Kāśī panorama with a radiant axis of light from Viśveśvara’s shrine; on the side, a symbolic vignette of a goat refusing a gourd, illustrating the impossibility of the wise choosing inferior paths.
FAQs
Kāśī is depicted as uniquely oriented to liberation; other aims are comparatively pain-laden, so the wise do not trade the highest good for lesser pursuits.
Kāśī/Kāśikā, praised as revealing the highest spiritual state.
None; the verse uses sharp analogies to stress discernment and steadfastness in Kāśī.