Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 7
वाराणस्यां कुरुक्षेत्रे नैमिषे नागरे पुरे । प्रयागे वा प्रभासे वा यस्त्यजेत्तनुमा त्मनः । महापातकयुक्तोऽपि नरकं न स पश्यति
vārāṇasyāṃ kurukṣetre naimiṣe nāgare pure | prayāge vā prabhāse vā yastyajettanumā tmanaḥ | mahāpātakayukto'pi narakaṃ na sa paśyati
വാരണാസി, കുരുക്ഷേത്രം, നൈമിഷം, നാഗരപുരം, പ്രയാഗം അല്ലെങ്കിൽ പ്രഭാസം എന്നിവിടങ്ങളിൽ ദേഹത്യാഗം ചെയ്യുന്നവൻ മഹാപാതകയുക്തനായാലും നരകം കാണുകയില്ല।
Bhīṣma
Tirtha: Vārāṇasī; Kurukṣetra; Naimiṣa; Nāgara-pura; Prayāga; Prabhāsa
Type: kshetra
Scene: A map-like sacred panorama: six iconic kṣetras shown as vignettes—Kāśī ghats, Kurukṣetra plain with sacred tanks, Naimiṣa forest hermitage, Nāgara-pura city-temple, Prayāga triveṇī sangam, Prabhāsa seashore temple—each with a departing soul rising, while hell-gates remain shut.
FAQs
Certain supreme tīrthas are extolled as so sanctifying that even grave sin is overruled by their liberating power at life’s end.
Vārāṇasī (Kāśī), Kurukṣetra, Naimiṣa, Nāgara-pura, Prayāga, and Prabhāsa.
Tīrtha-mṛtyu (relinquishing the body at a celebrated pilgrimage site) is presented as the decisive practice/ideal.