Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 35
नारायणेति नरकार्णव तारणेति दामोदरेति मधुहेति चतुर्भुजेति । विश्वंभरेति विरजेति जनार्दनेति क्वास्तीह जन्म जपतां क्व कृतांतभीतिः
nārāyaṇeti narakārṇava tāraṇeti dāmodareti madhuheti caturbhujeti | viśvaṃbhareti virajeti janārdaneti kvāstīha janma japatāṃ kva kṛtāṃtabhītiḥ
‘நாராயண’, ‘நரகக் கடலைக் கடத்துபவன்’, ‘தாமோதர’, ‘மதுஹ’, ‘சதுர்புஜ’, ‘விச்வம்பர’, ‘விரஜ’, ‘ஜனார்தன’—இவ்வாறு ஜபிப்போர்க்கு இங்கே மறுபிறவி எங்கே? மரணபயம் எங்கே?
Skanda (deduced for Kāśīkhaṇḍa context)
Tirtha: Kāśī
Type: kshetra
Scene: A devotee chanting while a dark ocean labeled ‘naraka-arṇava’ recedes; Yama’s shadow fades in the background; above, a four-armed Viṣṇu appears as protective light, with the names forming a garland around the devotee.
FAQs
Remembrance of the Lord’s names grants liberation-oriented fearlessness—overcoming rebirth and the terror of death.
The Kāśī Khaṇḍa context frames the teaching; the verse itself focuses on nāma-japa rather than naming a specific Kāśī tirtha.
Chanting (japa) of these Viṣṇu epithets is recommended as a liberating practice.