Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 57
विश्वेश्वरि त्वमसि विश्वजनस्य कर्त्री त्वं पालयित्र्यसि तथा प्रलयेपिहंत्री । त्वन्नामकीर्तनसमुल्लसदच्छपुण्या स्रोतस्विनी हरति पातककूलवृक्षान्
viśveśvari tvamasi viśvajanasya kartrī tvaṃ pālayitryasi tathā pralayepihaṃtrī | tvannāmakīrtanasamullasadacchapuṇyā srotasvinī harati pātakakūlavṛkṣān
हे विश्वेश्वरी! तूच सर्व जगताचा कर्त्री आहेस; तूच पालनकर्त्री, आणि प्रलयकाळी संहारकर्त्रीही आहेस. तुझ्या नामकीर्तनाने उफाळणारी पुण्याची निर्मळ, तेजस्वी सरिता पापसमूह रूपी वृक्षवन उपटून टाकते।
Ravi (Sūrya)
Tirtha: Kāśī-kṣetra (Viśveśvarī-bhāva)
Type: kshetra
Listener: Devī (Viśveśvarī)
Scene: Devī as Viśveśvarī stands as cosmic sovereign: subtle imagery of creation, protection, and dissolution around her; from devotees’ chanting rises a bright, clear ‘river of merit’ sweeping away a dark forest of sin-trees uprooted at the roots.
FAQs
Name-chanting is a powerful purifier; Devī governs creation, protection, and dissolution as the cosmic Śakti.
Kāśī, where Viśveśvarī/Śakti is praised together with the kṣetra’s saving power.
Nāma-kīrtana (chanting the Goddess’s names) is explicitly praised as sin-destroying.