Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 25
ततः शैलेश्वरकथा रत्नेशस्य च दर्शनम् । कृत्तिवासः समुत्पत्तिस्ततश्चायतनागमः
tataḥ śaileśvarakathā ratneśasya ca darśanam | kṛttivāsaḥ samutpattistataścāyatanāgamaḥ
பின்னர் சைலேஸ்வரரின் கதையும் ரத்னேசனின் தரிசனமும் கூறப்படுகின்றன; அதன் பின் க்ருத்திவாசனின் தோற்றமும், தொடர்ந்து ஆயதனம் (கோவில் மரபு) பற்றிய ஆகமச் செய்தியும் விளக்கப்படுகிறது।
Skanda
Tirtha: Śaileśvara; Ratneśa; Kṛttivāsa; Āyatana (shrine tradition)
Type: kshetra
Listener: Purāṇic audience
Scene: A sequence of four vignettes: (1) Śaileśvara associated with a rocky hill/stone motif; (2) Ratneśa as a jewel-radiant liṅga granting darśana; (3) Kṛttivāsa’s origin—Śiva clothed in a skin/‘kṛtti’ motif or a devotee receiving a boon; (4) āyatana-āgama—priests installing a liṅga in a sanctum with ritual implements.
FAQs
Darśana of Kāśī’s Śaiva forms is treated as spiritually transformative; temple traditions are framed as sacred history, not mere architecture.
Śaileśvara, Ratneśa, and Kṛttivāsa—presented as notable Śiva-sites within Kāśī’s pilgrimage map.
No explicit ritual is stated; the emphasis is on darśana and on the sanctity of established shrines (āyatanas).