Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 75
वरमेतेपक्षिमृगाः पशवः काशिवासिनः । येषां न पुनरावृत्तिर्नदेवानपुनर्भवाः
varametepakṣimṛgāḥ paśavaḥ kāśivāsinaḥ | yeṣāṃ na punarāvṛttirnadevānapunarbhavāḥ
Bahkan burung, rusa dan segala binatang yang menetap di Kāśī pun sungguh berbahagia; bagi mereka tiada kembali lagi ke saṃsāra. Kebebasan daripada kelahiran semula seperti ini pun tidak mudah dicapai walau oleh para dewa.
Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)
Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta-kṣetra)
Type: kshetra
Scene: A panoramic Kāśī riverfront with ghāṭas and temples; birds and animals within the sacred precinct bathed in a subtle Śiva-tejas, suggesting effortless liberation; distant devas look on in astonishment.
FAQs
Kāśī is proclaimed a supreme mokṣa-kṣetra: mere residence in its sacred sphere can remove the cycle of rebirth.
Kāśī (Vārāṇasī), revered in the Skanda Purana as the foremost place of liberation.
No specific rite is prescribed here; the emphasis is on the salvific power of Kāśīvāsa (dwelling in Kāśī).