Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 55
सायुज्यमुक्तिरत्रैव सान्निध्यादिरथान्यतः । सुलभा सापि नो नूनं काश्यां मोक्षोस्ति हेलया
sāyujyamuktiratraiva sānnidhyādirathānyataḥ | sulabhā sāpi no nūnaṃ kāśyāṃ mokṣosti helayā
ಇಲ್ಲಿಯೇ ಸಾಯುಜ್ಯಮುಕ್ತಿ (ಭಗವಂತನೊಂದಿಗೆ ಏಕತ್ವ); ಬೇರೆಡೆ ಸಾನ್ನಿಧ್ಯಾದಿ ಫಲಗಳು. ಆ ಸಾಯುಜ್ಯವೂ ನಿಜವಾಗಿ ಸುಲಭವಲ್ಲ; ಆದರೆ ಕಾಶಿಯಲ್ಲಿ ಮೋಕ್ಷವು ಅಲಕ್ಷ್ಯವಾಗಿ ದೊರೆಯುತ್ತದೆ.
Skanda (deduced from Kāśīkhaṇḍa dialogue context)
Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta-kṣetra)
Type: kshetra
Listener: Agastya (contextual)
Scene: A luminous panorama of Kāśī on the Gaṅgā: pilgrims at ghāṭas, bells and lamps, and above them a radiant Śiva-bestowing-sāyujya motif—souls merging into a Śiva-tejas halo near Viśveśvara’s sanctum.
FAQs
Kāśī uniquely makes liberation accessible; it is praised as a place where mokṣa comes with exceptional ease.
Kāśī (Vārāṇasī), as the exceptional mokṣa-kṣetra.
No explicit ritual; the verse contrasts grades of liberation and highlights Kāśī’s special efficacy.