Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 26
अहो मतेः सुदौर्बल्यमहोभाग्यस्य दौर्विधम् । अहो मोहस्य माहात्म्यं यत्काशीह न सेव्यते
aho mateḥ sudaurbalyamahobhāgyasya daurvidham | aho mohasya māhātmyaṃ yatkāśīha na sevyate
ہائے! عقل کتنی کمزور ہے؛ ہائے! نصیب کیسی الٹی چال چلتا ہے۔ ہائے! فریبِ موہ کی ایسی قوت کہ اس دنیا میں کاشی کی طلب و خدمت نہیں کی جاتی۔
Skanda (deduced, Kāśīkhaṇḍa context)
Tirtha: Kāśī
Type: kshetra
Scene: A pilgrim or sage stands at a Gaṅgā ghāṭa looking toward Kāśī’s temples with yearning, while shadowy figures of ‘Moha’ pull people away toward markets and pleasures; the speaker laments human forgetfulness.
FAQs
Neglecting Kāśī is framed as a symptom of delusion and spiritual misfortune; one should turn toward the liberating kṣetra.
Kāśī (Vārāṇasī), lamenting that it is not “sevyate” (resorted to/served).
No specific ritual; the practical exhortation is to seek/serve/visit Kāśī.