Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 50
न तस्य पुनरावृत्तिः संसाराध्वनि कर्हिचित् । काशीकोशोयमतुलो न प्रकाश्यो यतस्ततः
na tasya punarāvṛttiḥ saṃsārādhvani karhicit | kāśīkośoyamatulo na prakāśyo yatastataḥ
ಅವನಿಗೆ ಸಂಸಾರಮಾರ್ಗದಲ್ಲಿ ಮತ್ತೆ ಎಂದಿಗೂ ಪುನರಾಗಮನವಿಲ್ಲ. ಈ ಅತುಲ ‘ಕಾಶೀ-ಕೋಶ’ವನ್ನು ಎಲ್ಲೆಡೆ ಎಲ್ಲರಿಗೂ ಪ್ರಕಟಿಸಬಾರದು.
Śiva (implied, within Skanda’s narration of Kāśī-māhātmya teachings)
Tirtha: Kāśī / Avimukta-kṣetra
Type: kshetra
Listener: Pārvatī (Devī)
Scene: A solemn teaching scene in Kāśī: the ‘treasure of Kāśī’ symbolized as a sealed palm-leaf bundle or radiant jewel, with the Ganga and ghats in the background; the teacher gestures to secrecy and liberation beyond saṃsāra.
FAQs
True realization of Kāśī’s sacred secret leads to liberation—no return to saṃsāra.
Kāśī (Vārāṇasī), celebrated as a unique liberating kṣetra.
No specific rite is prescribed here; the verse emphasizes guarded transmission of a sacred secret (rahasya).