Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 33
शूद्रोपि न भवेत्प्रायो नागयज्ञोपवीतवान् । एवं वर्णाश्रमातीतः कोसौ सम्यङ्नकीर्त्यते
śūdropi na bhavetprāyo nāgayajñopavītavān | evaṃ varṇāśramātītaḥ kosau samyaṅnakīrtyate
അവൻ സാധാരണാർത്ഥത്തിൽ ശൂദ്രനുമല്ല; നാഗയാഗത്തിനുള്ള യജ്ഞോപവീതം ധരിച്ചവനുമല്ല. ഇങ്ങനെ വർണ്ണാശ്രമങ്ങളെ അതിക്രമിച്ച അവൻ ആരാണ്, യഥാർത്ഥമായി എങ്ങനെ വർണ്ണിക്കാം?
Skanda (deduced for Kāśīkhaṇḍa context)
Tirtha: Avimukta-kṣetra (Kāśī)
Type: kshetra
Listener: Śaunaka and the Naimiṣāraṇya sages (typical frame; not explicit here)
Scene: A contemplative Kāśī setting: ascetics and householders on a ghat debate ‘who is Śiva?’ while a subtle, formless presence is suggested above the liṅga shrine—emphasizing the inadequacy of social labels.
FAQs
True spiritual stature can transcend conventional social and ritual labels; some beings/ascetics cannot be classified by ordinary varṇāśrama categories.
The broader context is Kāśī (Vārāṇasī) in the Kāśīkhaṇḍa, though this particular verse focuses on characterization rather than naming a specific tīrtha.
No prescription is given; the verse references ritual identity markers (like the upavīta) only to deny their applicability.