Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 1
स्कंद उवाच । उषित्वैवं गृहे विप्रो द्वितीयादाश्रमात्परम् । वलीपलितसंयुक्तस्तृतीयाश्रममाविशेत्
skaṃda uvāca | uṣitvaivaṃ gṛhe vipro dvitīyādāśramātparam | valīpalitasaṃyuktastṛtīyāśramamāviśet
ಸ್ಕಂದನು ಹೇಳಿದನು—ಈ ರೀತಿ ಗೃಹಸ್ಥಾಶ್ರಮದಲ್ಲಿ ವಾಸಿಸಿ ಬ್ರಾಹ್ಮಣನು ಎರಡನೇ ಆಶ್ರಮವನ್ನು ಪೂರ್ಣಗೊಳಿಸಿದ ನಂತರ, ಮಡಚುಗಳು ಮತ್ತು ಬಿಳಿ ಕೂದಲಿನಿಂದ ಗುರುತಾದಾಗ, ಮೂರನೇ ಆಶ್ರಮವಾದ ವಾನಪ್ರಸ್ಥಕ್ಕೆ ಪ್ರವೇಶಿಸಬೇಕು।
Skanda
Tirtha: Kāśī
Type: kshetra
Scene: An aged brāhmaṇa with grey hair and wrinkles stands at the threshold of his home, turning toward a forest path, staff in hand, with a calm, resolute gaze—symbolizing the shift from gṛhastha to vānaprastha.
FAQs
Life is meant to mature into renunciation: after fulfilling household duties, one should transition to disciplined detachment (vānaprastha).
The verse is part of the Kāśī-khaṇḍa’s dharma teaching context; it does not name a single tirtha in this line, but sits within the larger glorification of Kāśī as a place that supports right living and liberation-oriented discipline.
A life-stage prescription: entering the third āśrama (vānaprastha) after completing the householder stage.