Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 17
नरो न रोगी यदिहाविहाय सहायभूतां सकलस्य जंतोः । काशीमनाशी सुकृतैकराशिमन्यत्र यातुं यततां न चान्यः
naro na rogī yadihāvihāya sahāyabhūtāṃ sakalasya jaṃtoḥ | kāśīmanāśī sukṛtaikarāśimanyatra yātuṃ yatatāṃ na cānyaḥ
ਜੋ ਮਨੁੱਖ ਇੱਥੇ ਕਾਸ਼ੀ ਨੂੰ—ਜੋ ਹਰ ਜੀਵ ਦੀ ਸਹਾਇਕਾ ਹੈ, ਅਨਾਸ਼ੀ ਹੈ ਅਤੇ ਪੁੰਨ ਦੀ ਇਕੋ ਰਾਸ਼ੀ ਦਾ ਖਜ਼ਾਨਾ ਹੈ—ਛੱਡ ਕੇ ਹੋਰ ਥਾਂ ਜਾਣ ਲਈ ਜਤਨ ਕਰੇ, ਉਹ ਨਿਸਚੇ ਹੀ ਰੋਗੀ ਹੈ; ਹੋਰ ਕਿਤੇ ਨਹੀਂ, ਸਿਰਫ਼ ਹੋਰ ਥਾਂ ਹੀ ਦੌੜਦਾ ਹੈ।
Skanda (deduced; Kāśīkhaṇḍa frame commonly Skanda → Agastya)
Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta)
Type: kshetra
Listener: null
Scene: A physician-like sage points to Kāśī as the true medicine; a pilgrim with anxious eyes looks toward distant roads labeled ‘anyatra’, while Kāśī appears as a compassionate goddess-city offering shelter to beings.
FAQs
To abandon Kāśī after reaching it is portrayed as a kind of spiritual illness—rejecting what supports all beings and leads toward liberation.
Kāśī (Vārāṇasī), called imperishable and universally helpful.
None directly; it is a strong admonition to remain devoted to Kāśī rather than seeking lesser alternatives.
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