Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 27
अथर्वोवाच । यं प्रपश्यंति देवेशं भक्त्यानुग्रहिणो जनाः । तमाहुरेकं कैवल्यं शंकरं दुःखतस्करम्
atharvovāca | yaṃ prapaśyaṃti deveśaṃ bhaktyānugrahiṇo janāḥ | tamāhurekaṃ kaivalyaṃ śaṃkaraṃ duḥkhataskaram
അഥർവ്വം പറഞ്ഞു—ഭക്തിയാൽ അനുഗ്രഹിക്കപ്പെട്ട ജനങ്ങൾ ദേവേശനായി ആരെ ദർശിക്കുന്നു, ആ ഒരേയൊരു ശങ്കരനെയത്രേ അവർ കൈവല്യസ്വരൂപനും ദുഃഖം അപഹരിക്കുന്ന ‘ദുഃഖതസ്കരനും’ എന്നു പറയുന്നു।
Atharva (personified Atharvaveda/Śruti)
Tirtha: Kāśī-kṣetra
Type: kshetra
Listener: Sage/audience
Scene: Atharvaveda personified declares that devotees, graced by bhakti, behold Devesha; Śaṅkara appears as Kaivalya embodied, gently removing sorrow from worshippers.
FAQs
Liberation is not merely attained by effort but through devotion that invites grace; Śiva is portrayed as liberation itself and as the remover of suffering.
The broader setting is Kāśīkhaṇḍa (the glory of Kāśī), where Śiva’s saving power is central; this verse itself does not specify a particular shrine or ghat.
No ritual act is mandated; devotion (bhakti) and the resulting divine grace are emphasized.