Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 41
स्मरिष्यंतीह ये काशीमवश्यं तेपि साधवः । तेप्यघौघ विनिर्मुक्ता यास्यंति गतिमुत्तमाम्
smariṣyaṃtīha ye kāśīmavaśyaṃ tepi sādhavaḥ | tepyaghaugha vinirmuktā yāsyaṃti gatimuttamām
जे येथे राहूनही निश्चयाने काशीचे स्मरण करतात, तेही साधु होतात. पापांच्या प्रवाहातून मुक्त होऊन ते परम उत्तम गतीस प्राप्त होतात.
Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)
Tirtha: Kāśī / Avimukta
Type: kshetra
Listener: null
Scene: A pilgrim-resident in Kāśī sits near the Gaṅgā, eyes closed in remembrance of the city and Viśveśvara; dark streams symbolizing sins dissolve into light rising toward a radiant, tranquil liberation-state.
FAQs
Remembrance of Kāśī itself becomes a purifier, turning one toward virtue and culminating in the supreme spiritual goal.
Kāśī (Vārāṇasī), understood within the Kāśīkhaṇḍa as the Avimukta-kṣetra of Śiva.
No external rite is prescribed here; the emphasis is on smaraṇa (remembering Kāśī) as spiritually efficacious.