Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 57
एनांसि तांश्च बाधंते ये न काशीं समाश्रिताः । काशीसमाश्रिता यैश्च यैश्च विश्वेश्वरोर्चितः । तारकं ज्ञानमासाद्य ते मुक्ताः कर्मपाशतः
enāṃsi tāṃśca bādhaṃte ye na kāśīṃ samāśritāḥ | kāśīsamāśritā yaiśca yaiśca viśveśvarorcitaḥ | tārakaṃ jñānamāsādya te muktāḥ karmapāśataḥ
گناہ انہیں عذاب دیتے ہیں جو کاشی کی پناہ نہیں لیتے۔ مگر جو کاشی میں رہتے اور وِشوَیشور کی پوجا کرتے ہیں—تارک گیان حاصل کر کے—وہ کرم کے بندھن سے آزاد ہو جاتے ہیں۔
Skanda (deduced; Kāśīkhaṇḍa dialogue context often Skanda to Agastya)
Tirtha: Viśveśvara in Kāśī (Avimukta)
Type: kshetra
Listener: Sages/seekers
Scene: Inside Viśveśvara’s sanctum: devotees offer bilva and water; a radiant syllabic ‘tāraka’ light (mantra/jñāna) descends like a thread cutting dark chains labeled ‘karma’; outside, personified sins flee from Kāśī’s boundary.
FAQs
Kāśī is presented as a mokṣa-kṣetra: residence there combined with Viśveśvara worship culminates in liberating knowledge that cuts karmic bondage.
Kāśī (Vārāṇasī), specifically in relation to Viśveśvara (Śiva) and the tradition of Tāraka-jñāna.
Worship (arcana) of Viśveśvara and taking refuge/residence in Kāśī are highlighted as the spiritual disciplines leading to liberation.