Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 1
अगस्तिरुवाच । दिवोदासं नरपतिं कथं देवस्त्रिलोचनः । काशीं संत्याजयामास कथमागाच्च मंदरात् । एतदाख्यानमाख्याहि श्रोतॄणां प्रमुदे भगोः
agastiruvāca | divodāsaṃ narapatiṃ kathaṃ devastrilocanaḥ | kāśīṃ saṃtyājayāmāsa kathamāgācca maṃdarāt | etadākhyānamākhyāhi śrotṝṇāṃ pramude bhagoḥ
اگستیہ نے کہا: راجا دیووداس کے سبب تین آنکھوں والے دیو نے کاشی کو کیسے ترک کیا؟ اور مَندَر سے کیسے واپس آیا؟ اے بزرگوار، سننے والوں کی مسرت کے لیے یہ مقدس حکایت بیان کیجیے۔
Agastya
Tirtha: Kāśī (topic of inquiry)
Type: kshetra
Listener: The revered narrator addressed as “bhagaḥ” (contextually Skanda in this chapter’s frame)
Scene: Sage Agastya, seated in an āśrama setting, respectfully questions the narrator about Śiva’s departure from Kāśī and return from Mandara; listeners sit in a semicircle, eager and serene.
FAQs
Sacred geography is taught through sacred history: the glory of Kāśī is illuminated by asking why even Śiva’s presence appears to shift in divine play.
Kāśī (Vārāṇasī) and, secondarily, Mandara mountain as the setting of the episode.
None; it is a narrative prompt requesting the account.