Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 9
भविष्यति न संदेहो मित्रावरुणनंदन । ततोपि तिष्ये संप्राप्ते काश्यत्यंतं सुदुर्लभा
bhaviṣyati na saṃdeho mitrāvaruṇanaṃdana | tatopi tiṣye saṃprāpte kāśyatyaṃtaṃ sudurlabhā
Demikianlah akan terjadi, tiada keraguan, wahai putera Mitra dan Varuṇa. Dan apabila tiba zaman Tiṣya, Kāśī akan menjadi amat sukar untuk dicapai (dari segi akses dan keberadaan).
Skanda
Tirtha: Kāśī
Type: kshetra
Listener: Mitra-Varuṇa-nandana (Vasiṣṭha)
Scene: A sage is addressed directly—'son of Mitra and Varuṇa'—as the narrator foretells a future tightening of access: Kāśī’s lanes fade into mist; gates close; the riverfront becomes distant, conveying impending durlabhatā and urgency.
FAQs
Sacred opportunity should be valued now; future times may restrict access to supremely liberating kṣetras like Kāśī.
Kāśī (Vārāṇasī) as an exceptionally rare-to-attain sacred kṣetra in later periods.
None directly; it serves as an exhortation-by-implication to undertake Kāśī pilgrimage and worship while accessible.