Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 43
स्तोता त्वमेव दनुजेंद्ररिपो स्तुतिस्त्वं स्तुत्यस्त्वमेव सकलं हि भवानिहैकः । त्वत्तो न किंचिदपि भिन्नमवैमि विष्णो तृष्णां सदा कृणुहि मे भवजांभवारे
stotā tvameva danujeṃdraripo stutistvaṃ stutyastvameva sakalaṃ hi bhavānihaikaḥ | tvatto na kiṃcidapi bhinnamavaimi viṣṇo tṛṣṇāṃ sadā kṛṇuhi me bhavajāṃbhavāre
Wahai musuh raja para Dānava! Yang memuji ialah Engkau sendiri; pujian itu pun Engkau; dan yang layak dipuji juga Engkau semata—kerana sesungguhnya di sini semuanya hanyalah Engkau. Wahai Viṣṇu, aku tidak mengetahui sesuatu pun yang terpisah daripada-Mu. Dalam samudera bhava (kelahiran-ulang) ini, tetapkanlah dahagaku sentiasa (kepada-Mu).
Agnibindu (the ascetic), praising Viṣṇu
Tirtha: Kāśī
Type: kshetra
Listener: Śaunaka and sages
Scene: Agnibindu stands before Viṣṇu, the hymn itself visualized as a stream merging into the Lord; behind the sage, a dark ocean symbolizes bhava-sāgara; a bright lotus-path leads from the ocean to Viṣṇu, signifying redirected thirst and liberation.
FAQs
It teaches all-pervasive divinity and single-minded devotion—seeing nothing apart from Viṣṇu and transforming worldly craving into God-longing.
Not named in this verse; the Kāśī setting contextualizes the hymn that leads to a boon benefiting pilgrims and seekers at Pañcanada Hrada.
No formal rite; it is an inner discipline: sustaining tṛṣṇā (intense longing) toward the Lord amid saṃsāra.