Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 46
विशाल सालमादाय कुर्वन्किल किलारवम् । कश्चित्तमभितो याति कालो दंडधरो यथा
viśāla sālamādāya kurvankila kilāravam | kaścittamabhito yāti kālo daṃḍadharo yathā
Mencapai sebatang pokok śāla yang besar dan mengeluarkan jeritan yang kasar dan bergemerincing, seseorang berkeliaran di sekelilingnya—seperti Masa (Maut) itu sendiri, memegang tongkat.
Skanda (deduced, Kāśīkhaṇḍa context) speaking to Agastya
Tirtha: Avimukta (Kāśī)
Type: kshetra
Listener: Śaunaka and sages at Naimiṣāraṇya (typical frame)
Scene: A fearsome figure circles a steadfast person, brandishing a massive śāla trunk like a staff; dust and shadows swirl as if Time itself patrols the perimeter.
FAQs
In sacred Kāśī, fearsome visions may arise, but they are tests—steadfastness and inner dharma overcome the terror of ‘Death-like’ appearances.
The broader sacred field of Kāśī (Vārāṇasī) in the Kāśīkhaṇḍa, where spiritual trials highlight the city’s purifying power.
No explicit rite is stated in this verse; it depicts a fear-inducing apparition as part of a larger kāśī-māhātmya narrative.