Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 73
अन्यत्र तीर्थ सलिले पतितोद्विजन्मा देवादिभावमयते न तथा तु काश्याम् । चित्रं यदत्र पतितः पुनरुत्थितिं न प्राप्नोति पुल्कसजनोपि किमग्र जन्मा
anyatra tīrtha salile patitodvijanmā devādibhāvamayate na tathā tu kāśyām | citraṃ yadatra patitaḥ punarutthitiṃ na prāpnoti pulkasajanopi kimagra janmā
इतर तीर्थांच्या जलात पडलेला द्विज पुन्हा देवभावास पोहोचू शकतो; पण काशीत तसे नाही. येथे पडलेला पुन्हा सांसारिक उन्नती मिळवीत नाही—हेच आश्चर्य; पुल्कसजन्माही मुक्त होतो, तर उच्चजन्माचा काय प्रश्न!
Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda speaking to Agastya)
Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta-kṣetra)
Type: kshetra
Listener: null
Scene: A pilgrim at Kāśī’s ghāṭa slips into sacred waters; above, Śiva’s unseen grace is implied, while the city’s luminous aura signifies release from rebirth; figures of diverse communities stand equally within the kṣetra’s sanctity.
FAQs
Kāśī is presented as a place where saṃsāric return is cut off—its liberating power surpasses ordinary tīrtha merits and transcends social birth distinctions.
Kāśī (Vārāṇasī), described as uniquely preventing ‘return’ (punar-utthiti), i.e., rebirth.
Falling/immersion in tīrtha waters is mentioned comparatively; no new prescription is given beyond highlighting Kāśī’s exceptional status.