Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 10
आवश्येषु सदोद्युक्ता ये जाता यत्रकुत्रचित् । सर्वभोगसमृद्धास्ते वसंत्यत्र पुरोत्तमे
āvaśyeṣu sadodyuktā ye jātā yatrakutracit | sarvabhogasamṛddhāste vasaṃtyatra purottame
ആവശ്യക കർത്തവ്യങ്ങളിൽ സദാ ഉത്സാഹത്തോടെ ഏർപ്പെടുന്നവർ—എവിടെ ജനിച്ചാലും—സകലഭോഗസമൃദ്ധരായി ഈ പരമോത്തമ നഗരത്തിൽ വസിക്കുന്നു।
Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda speaking to Agastya)
Tirtha: Kāśī (Purottamā)
Type: kshetra
Listener: Purāṇic audience
Scene: A panoramic view of Kāśī: prosperous households, temples, and ghats; among them a diligent devotee performing daily duties—sweeping a shrine, offering lamps, serving guests—symbolizing ‘āvaśyaka’ diligence leading to abundance and residence in the holy city.
FAQs
Birth is secondary to conduct; diligence in duty leads to prosperity and the grace of residence in sacred Kāśī.
Kāśī, praised as purottama, the foremost city.
Not a specific ritual; it emphasizes steady performance of obligatory duties (āvaśya-karma).