Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 53
विनायज्ञैर्विनादानैर्विना व्रतजपादिभिः । विनातिपुण्यसंभारैः कः काशीं प्राप्तुमीहते
vināyajñairvinādānairvinā vratajapādibhiḥ | vinātipuṇyasaṃbhāraiḥ kaḥ kāśīṃ prāptumīhate
യജ്ഞമില്ലാതെ, ദാനമില്ലാതെ, വ്രത-ജപാദികളില്ലാതെ—മഹാപുണ്യസഞ്ചയമില്ലാതെ—ആർക്കാണ് കാശി പ്രാപിക്കണമെന്ന ആഗ്രഹം ഉണ്ടാകുക?
Skanda (deduced; Kāśīkhaṇḍa context)
Tirtha: Kāśī
Type: kshetra
Scene: A pilgrim at a crossroads: one path labeled yajña, another dāna, another vrata-japa; all converge toward a radiant Kāśī gate, implying merit as the key to entry.
FAQs
Access to great sacred power is linked with prior dharmic merit; one should cultivate puṇya through righteous acts.
Kāśī (Vārāṇasī) is explicitly presented as a supremely meritorious destination.
Yajña (sacrifice), dāna (charity), vrata (vows), and japa (mantra repetition) are named as sources of puṇya supporting the attainment of Kāśī.