आराधितोऽनुदिवसं सभूतैरपि पंचभिः । तप एव परं मेने गोविंदार्पित मानसः
ārādhito'nudivasaṃ sabhūtairapi paṃcabhiḥ | tapa eva paraṃ mene goviṃdārpita mānasaḥ
Walaupun disembah hari demi hari bahkan oleh lima unsur (pañca-bhūta) sendiri, namun dia—dengan hati dipersembahkan kepada Govinda—tetap menganggap tapa semata-mata sebagai jalan yang paling utama.
Skanda (deduced, Kāśīkhaṇḍa norm: Skanda → Agastya)
Tirtha: Kāśī-kṣetra
Type: kshetra
Scene: A serene ascetic with hands in añjali, heart offered to Govinda; the five elements appear as subtle deities (earth, water, fire, wind, sky) paying homage; yet the ascetic points inward to tapas as the supreme vow.
When the mind is surrendered to the Divine, austerity becomes the highest instrument of realization and spiritual merit.
Kāśī-kṣetra is the overarching sacred geography of this chapter, framing the account as a Kāśī Māhātmya.
The implied prescription is steady daily worship (ārādhana) and disciplined tapas with a mind dedicated to Govinda.