Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 19
अगस्तिरुवाच । आकर्णय वरारोहे सत्यं पृष्टं त्वयामले । निर्णीतमसकृच्चैतन्मुनिभिस्तत्त्वचिंतकैः
agastiruvāca | ākarṇaya varārohe satyaṃ pṛṣṭaṃ tvayāmale | nirṇītamasakṛccaitanmunibhistattvaciṃtakaiḥ
अगस्तिरुवाच—आकर्णय वरारोहे, अमले, त्वया सत्यं पृष्टम्। एतत् तत्त्वचिन्तकैर्मुनिभिरसकृन्निर्णीतमेव।
Agastya
Tirtha: Kāśī (implied)
Type: kshetra
Listener: Lopāmudrā
Scene: Agastya leans slightly forward, beginning a formal explanation; his face is serene yet authoritative, as if invoking a lineage of sages and settled doctrine.
FAQs
Pilgrimage claims are to be understood through tattva (right discernment) as taught by realized sages, not through superficial contradiction.
The verse sets up a clarification about Śrīśaila and Kāśī rather than glorifying one site directly.
None; it introduces authoritative teaching (śravaṇa/listening) as the next step.