Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 27
तथापि चेद्वरो देयस्तिर्यक्ष्वस्मासु धूर्जटे । कृपणेष्वपि शोच्येषु ज्ञानं सर्वज्ञ देहि तत्
tathāpi cedvaro deyastiryakṣvasmāsu dhūrjaṭe | kṛpaṇeṣvapi śocyeṣu jñānaṃ sarvajña dehi tat
എങ്കിലും, ഓ ധൂർജടീ! ഞങ്ങൾ തിർയഗ്ഗതിയിൽ അലയുന്ന താഴ്ന്നവരായിരുന്നാലും വരം നൽകേണ്ടതാണെങ്കിൽ—ഈ ദീനവും ശോചനീയവുമായ ഞങ്ങൾക്കും, ഓ സർവ്വജ്ഞാ, മോക്ഷദായകമായ ആ ജ്ഞാനം ദാനം ചെയ്യണമേ.
Pilgrims/supplicants (addressing Śiva in Kāśī; contextually within Skanda’s narration to Agastya)
Tirtha: Kāśī (mokṣa-kṣetra)
Type: kshetra
Scene: Kneeling supplicants, visibly humble and worn, raise their hands toward Śiva as Dhūrjaṭi; instead of asking for wealth, they ask for a luminous ‘jñāna’ symbolized as a small flame/lotus of light descending toward their hearts.
FAQs
The highest boon is jñāna; even the most fallen can be uplifted when Śiva grants liberating insight.
The prayer belongs to the Kāśī-māhātmya atmosphere, where Śiva’s compassion is especially emphasized (with Dharmēśvara as a named focal point nearby).
No specific ritual is prescribed; it is a direct supplication for jñāna (spiritual knowledge) as Śiva’s grace.