Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 95
ब्राह्मणैः सततं श्राव्यमिदमाख्यानमुत्तमम् । वेदपाठेन यत्पुण्यं तत्पुण्यफलदायकम्
brāhmaṇaiḥ satataṃ śrāvyamidamākhyānamuttamam | vedapāṭhena yatpuṇyaṃ tatpuṇyaphaladāyakam
ព្រាហ្មណ៍ទាំងឡាយគួរតែអានសូត្រ និងស្តាប់រឿងព្រះធម៌ដ៏ប្រសើរនេះជានិច្ច; វាប្រទានផលបុណ្យដូចផលបុណ្យពីការសូត្រវេទ។
Skanda (deduced; Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)
Tirtha: Kāśī-kṣetra (as narrated in Kāśīkhaṇḍa)
Type: kshetra
Listener: Śaunaka and the Naimiṣāraṇya sages (standard frame)
Scene: A learned brāhmaṇa recites the Kāśī-māhātmya to an attentive assembly; palm-leaf manuscript, oil lamp, and a distant silhouette of Viśvanātha’s śikhara suggest the kṣetra’s presence; the words are visualized as luminous Vedic syllables.
FAQs
Hearing and reciting Kāśī’s sacred narrative is itself a powerful dharmic act, equal in fruit to Vedic study.
Kāśī (Vārāṇasī) is implied through the Kāśīkhaṇḍa context, as the narration being praised is the Kāśī-māhātmya.
Regular śravaṇa/pāṭha: brāhmaṇas should continually recite and facilitate hearing of this sacred account.