Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 5
प्रापयामास तां गंगां दैलीपिः पुरतश्चरन् । निर्वाणकाशनाद्यत्र काशीति प्रथिता पुरी
prāpayāmāsa tāṃ gaṃgāṃ dailīpiḥ purataścaran | nirvāṇakāśanādyatra kāśīti prathitā purī
അവളുടെ മുമ്പിൽ മുമ്പിൽ നടന്ന് ദൈലീപി ആ ഗംഗയെ നഗരത്തിലേക്കു എത്തിച്ചു—നിർവാണത്തെ പ്രകാശിപ്പിക്കുന്നതിനാൽ ആ പുരി ‘കാശി’ എന്നു പ്രസിദ്ധമാണ്.
Skanda (context continuation)
Tirtha: Kāśī (nirvāṇa-kāśanā)
Type: kshetra
Listener: Agastya
Scene: A ceremonial leading of Gaṅgā into Kāśī: the river-goddess follows as a luminous presence; the city is depicted as shining with the ‘light of nirvāṇa’.
FAQs
Kāśī is defined as the place that ‘shines forth’ liberation, making mokṣa central to its sacred identity.
Kāśī (Vārāṇasī) as the nirvāṇa-kṣetra, with Gaṅgā’s presence reinforcing its salvific power.
No explicit prescription; it provides a mahātmya-based etymology and sacred-historical grounding for Kāśī.