Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 80
यदाहुस्तारकं ज्ञानं यदाहुरतिनिर्मलम् । स्वात्मारामं यदाहुश्च तत्तत्रांते दिशाम्यहम्
yadāhustārakaṃ jñānaṃ yadāhuratinirmalam | svātmārāmaṃ yadāhuśca tattatrāṃte diśāmyaham
അവർ ‘താരക’ ജ്ഞാനമെന്നും, അത്യന്തം നിർമലമെന്നും, സ്വാത്മാരാമം—ആത്മയിൽ മാത്രം രമിക്കുന്നതെന്നും—പറയുന്നതിനെ ഞാൻ അവിടെ പരമാന്തത്തിൽ വെളിപ്പെടുത്തുന്നു.
Skanda (deduced, Kāśīkhaṇḍa context)
Tirtha: Kāśī-kṣetra (Tāraka-jñāna revelation)
Type: kshetra
Listener: Seekers/pilgrims within the Kāśī-khaṇḍa narrative frame
Scene: Śiva as compassionate teacher revealing a subtle ‘tāraka’ light/word to a departing soul or to a meditating seeker in Kāśī; the river and cremation-ghāṭ silhouette in the distance.
FAQs
Liberation is linked to ‘tāraka’ knowledge—pure, self-abiding realization that ferries the soul beyond saṃsāra.
Kāśī is the implied sacred setting where this tāraka knowledge is disclosed.
No specific rite is named; the verse highlights the liberating power of jñāna (spiritual knowledge).