Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 16
वैश्वेश्वरी पुरी चैषा यथा मे चित्तहारिणी । सर्वापि न तथा क्षोणी न स्वर्गो नैव नागभूः
vaiśveśvarī purī caiṣā yathā me cittahāriṇī | sarvāpi na tathā kṣoṇī na svargo naiva nāgabhūḥ
ಈ ವೈಶ್ವೇಶ್ವರಿ ಪುರಿ (ಕಾಶೀ) ನನ್ನ ಚಿತ್ತವನ್ನು ಹೇಗೆ ಸೆಳೆಯುತ್ತದೋ, ಹಾಗೆ ಸಮಸ್ತ ಭೂಮಿಯೂ ಅಲ್ಲ, ಸ್ವರ್ಗವೂ ಅಲ್ಲ, ನಾಗಲೋಕವೂ ಅಲ್ಲ।
Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa narrative typically Skanda to Agastya)
Tirtha: Vaiśveśvarī (Kāśī) / Viśveśvara-kṣetra
Type: kshetra
Listener: Pilgrimage audience
Scene: A cosmic map-like tableau: Kāśī at center with Viśveśvara’s radiance; around it, faint rings representing Bhū-loka, Svarga, and Nāga-bhūmi, all dimmer; a devotee’s heart motif drawn toward Kāśī’s light.
FAQs
Kāśī is affirmed as incomparable across worlds, indicating its unique status as Śiva’s city and a supreme field for spiritual attainment.
Vaiśveśvarī Purī—Kāśī (Vārāṇasī) associated with Viśveśvara.
None; it is pure praise of place (sthāna-stuti) emphasizing Kāśī’s unmatched merit.