Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 12
मासि मासि यदाप्येत व्रताच्चांद्रायणात्फलम् । अन्यत्र तदिहाप्येत भूतायां नक्तभोजनात्
māsi māsi yadāpyeta vratāccāṃdrāyaṇātphalam | anyatra tadihāpyeta bhūtāyāṃ naktabhojanāt
جو پھل دوسری جگہ ماہ بہ ماہ چاندْرایَن ورت سے ملتا ہے، وہی پھل یہاں بھوتا (بھادْرپد) کے مہینے میں صرف رات کو کھانا کھانے سے حاصل ہو جاتا ہے۔
Skanda
Tirtha: Kāśī (Avimukta) in Bhādrapada (Bhūtā-māsa)
Type: kshetra
Scene: Night in Kāśī: lamps along ghāṭas, a devotee takes a simple meal after evening worship; above, a subtle celestial scale motif indicating ‘Cāndrāyaṇa fruit’ attained through naktabhojana in Bhādrapada.
FAQs
Kāśī amplifies spiritual practices: simpler observances there can yield results equal to rigorous vows performed elsewhere.
Kāśī (Vārāṇasī) is praised as a merit-multiplying kṣetra where vratas become especially efficacious.
Nakta-bhojana (taking food only at night) during the month called Bhūtā, said to match the fruit of Cāndrāyaṇa performed elsewhere.