Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 44
यस्येश्वरे सदाभक्तिर्यः काशीतत्त्ववित्तमः । स एवैतानि लिंगानि वेत्स्यत्यन्यो न कश्चन
yasyeśvare sadābhaktiryaḥ kāśītattvavittamaḥ | sa evaitāni liṃgāni vetsyatyanyo na kaścana
جس کے دل میں پرمیشور کی دائمی بھکتی ہو اور جو کاشی کے باطنی تَتّو کو حقیقتاً جانتا ہو، وہی اِن لِنگوں کو پہچانے گا؛ اس کے سوا کوئی نہیں۔
Skanda
Tirtha: Gupta-liṅgas of Kāśī (recognizable only to the qualified)
Type: kshetra
Listener: Agastya
Scene: Skanda states an exclusivity principle: among many, only the steadfast devotee-knower perceives the hidden liṅgas. Visually, one pilgrim sees a glowing liṅga where others see ordinary stone—symbol of inner vision.
FAQs
Spiritual qualification—steady devotion and insight into Kāśī’s tattva—reveals the sacred.
Kāśī is portrayed as possessing an inner ‘tattva’ that only true devotees understand.
Implied discipline: sustained bhakti and contemplative understanding of Kāśī’s sacred principle.