Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 97
समादाय महाबाहुः स तदा मित्रजिन्नृपः । जहर्ष च जगादोच्चैर्बालायाश्चाभयं दिशन्
samādāya mahābāhuḥ sa tadā mitrajinnṛpaḥ | jaharṣa ca jagādoccairbālāyāścābhayaṃ diśan
அப்போது பெருந்தோளுடைய மித்ரஜித் அரசன் அதை எடுத்துக் கொண்டான்; மகிழ்ந்து, கன்னிக்கு அபயம் அளித்து, உரக்கச் சொன்னான்।
Narrator (contextually Skanda to Agastya)
Tirtha: Kāśī
Type: kshetra
Scene: King Mitrajit, broad-armed, lifts the radiant triśūla with joy; his raised voice rings out as his other hand gestures protection toward the maiden, whose fear begins to dissolve.
FAQs
To uphold dharma, a ruler must actively remove fear and ensure protection—abhaya is a sacred gift.
Kāśī is the underlying sacred setting of the Kāśīkhaṇḍa, where righteous kingship aligns with the city’s sanctity.
No explicit ritual; it emphasizes ethical duty (rāja-dharma) expressed as protection.