Skanda Purana — Avanti Khanda, Shloka 1
श्रीमार्कण्डेय उवाच । ततो गच्छेत राजेन्द्र गुहावासीति चोत्तमम् । यत्र सिद्धो महादेवो गुहावासी समार्बुदम्
śrīmārkaṇḍeya uvāca | tato gaccheta rājendra guhāvāsīti cottamam | yatra siddho mahādevo guhāvāsī samārbudam
श्रीमार्कण्डेय उवाच—ततः, राजेन्द्र, गुहावासीति नाम्ना प्रसिद्धं परमं पुण्यक्षेत्रं गच्छेत; यत्रार्बुदे महादेवः ‘गुहावासी’ इति सिद्धिं प्राप समार्बुदम्।
Mārkaṇḍeya
Tirtha: Guhāvāsī
Type: cave
Listener: Yudhiṣṭhira
Scene: Mārkaṇḍeya indicates the route to the sacred place ‘Guhāvāsī’ on Arbuda: a rocky mountain with a cave-mouth shrine, a liṅga within, ascetics and pilgrims approaching with lamps and water-pots.
FAQs
Pilgrimage is framed as a dharmic movement toward places where Śiva’s presence is ‘siddha’—spiritually potent and liberating.
The excellent site named Guhāvāsī, associated with Mahādeva, located on/at Arbuda.
A travel injunction: “one should go” (gacchet) to the Guhāvāsī sacred place.