Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 140
नक्तं दिनं निमज्ज्याप्सु कैवर्ताः किमु पावनाः । शतशोपि तथा स्नाता न शुद्धा भावदूषिता
naktaṃ dinaṃ nimajjyāpsu kaivartāḥ kimu pāvanāḥ | śataśopi tathā snātā na śuddhā bhāvadūṣitā
Se os pescadores, mergulhando nas águas noite e dia, não se purificam por isso, que dizer dos demais? Ainda que alguém se banhe cem vezes, não é puro quando a disposição interior está maculada.
Skanda (deduced for Kāśīkhaṇḍa context)
Tirtha: Gaṅgā in Kāśī (contextual)
Type: river
Scene: Fishermen repeatedly plunge into the river, yet a luminous sage points to the heart, indicating that inner stains remain; the Gaṅgā flows indifferent, reflecting the teaching.
FAQs
External rites like bathing cannot replace inner purity; intention (bhāva) is the real purifier.
The teaching belongs to the Kāśīkhaṇḍa’s dharma-instruction set within Kāśī’s sacred landscape, though no single tīrtha is named in this verse.
Snāna is acknowledged, but its efficacy is conditioned on pure intention and conduct.