Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 116
अलभ्यलाभो देवस्य जातोत्र हि यतः परः । ततः काशी प्रवेशाख्यं जप्यमाख्यानमुत्तमम्
alabhyalābho devasya jātotra hi yataḥ paraḥ | tataḥ kāśī praveśākhyaṃ japyamākhyānamuttamam
ಯಾಕೆಂದರೆ ಆ ಕ್ಷಣದಿಂದ ಇಲ್ಲಿ ದೇವನು ಸಾಮಾನ್ಯವಾಗಿ ಅಲಭ್ಯವಾದುದನ್ನೂ ಪಡೆದನು; ಆದ್ದರಿಂದ ‘ಕಾಶೀಪ್ರವೇಶ’ವೆಂದು ಖ್ಯಾತವಾದ ಈ ಪರಮ ಪವಿತ್ರಾಖ್ಯಾನ ಜಪರೂಪವಾಗಿ ಪಠಣೀಯವಾಗಿದೆ।
Skanda (deduced from Kāśīkhaṇḍa dialogue frame)
Tirtha: Kāśī-praveśa (Entering Kāśī)
Type: kshetra
Listener: Pilgrim/reader; within Kāśīkhaṇḍa frame, Agastya is the principal listener in the ensuing section
Scene: A pilgrim at the threshold of Kāśī recites a palm-leaf text titled ‘Kāśī-praveśa’; above, Śiva’s presence is suggested as a luminous, moon-crested form blessing the act of recitation; the city’s ghāṭs and spires appear in the distance as a sacred horizon.
FAQs
Kāśī is portrayed as a uniquely salvific sacred realm where even the “unattainable” becomes attainable through devotion and remembrance.
Kāśī (Vārāṇasī), praised through the theme of “Kāśī-praveśa” (entering the holy city).
The narrative titled “Kāśī-praveśa” is prescribed to be recited repeatedly as japa (devotional repetition).