Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 17
कृते सर्वत्र तीर्थानि त्रेतायां पुष्करं परम् । द्वापरे तु कुरुक्षेत्रं कलौ गंगैव केवलम्
kṛte sarvatra tīrthāni tretāyāṃ puṣkaraṃ param | dvāpare tu kurukṣetraṃ kalau gaṃgaiva kevalam
Pada zaman Kṛta, tīrtha ada di mana-mana; pada Tretā, Puṣkara paling utama. Pada Dvāpara, Kurukṣetra yang terunggul; namun pada Kali-yuga, hanya Sungai Gaṅgā sahaja menjadi tīrtha tertinggi dan satu-satunya tempat berlindung.
Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa often Skanda → Agastya)
Tirtha: Gaṅgā
Type: river
Listener: A devotee/interlocutor within Kāśīkhaṇḍa’s dialogue frame (commonly Śiva/Devī/ṛṣi audiences depending on subchapter)
Scene: A yuga-wheel tableau: Kṛta with many shining tīrthas across the earth; Tretā centered on Puṣkara lake; Dvāpara centered on Kurukṣetra; Kali centered on the flowing Gaṅgā, luminous and compassionate, drawing pilgrims to her banks.
FAQs
As spiritual capacity declines in Kali-yuga, Gaṅgā is praised as the most accessible and powerful support for purification and merit.
Gaṅgā is glorified as the foremost tīrtha in Kali-yuga, within the Kāśī-centric sacred landscape.
No single rite is specified here; the verse establishes Gaṅgā herself as the primary means of tīrtha-merit in Kali-yuga (implying snāna, sevā, and remembrance).