Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 52
कर्ता कारयिता शंभुः किमतथ्यं ब्रवीम्यहम् । अथवा चिंतया किं मे तपस्विन्ननया विभो
kartā kārayitā śaṃbhuḥ kimatathyaṃ bravīmyaham | athavā ciṃtayā kiṃ me tapasvinnanayā vibho
“कर्ता आणि करविता शंभूच आहेत; मी असत्य कसे बोलू? तरीही, हे विभु तपस्वी, या चिंतेने मला काय उपयोग?”
Jaṭādhara (ascetic) (deduced: theological assertion about Śambhu)
Type: kshetra
Scene: The speaker invokes Śambhu’s agency; a subtle vision of Śiva as an unseen presence behind the ascetic—trident silhouette, crescent moon, and a faint liṅga aura—while the king listens.
FAQs
Śiva is both the agent and the supreme cause; recognizing divine agency dissolves anxiety and supports truthful living.
The Kāśī setting underlies the teaching: in Śiva’s city, events are understood as governed by Śambhu’s will.
No explicit rite is mentioned; the focus is philosophical dharma—truthfulness grounded in Śiva’s sovereignty.