Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 51
कृत्वाप्यघान्येव महांत्यपीह धर्मेश्वरार्चां सकृदेव कुर्वन् । कुतो बिभेति प्रियबंधुरेव तव त्वदीयार्चित लिंगभक्तः
kṛtvāpyaghānyeva mahāṃtyapīha dharmeśvarārcāṃ sakṛdeva kurvan | kuto bibheti priyabaṃdhureva tava tvadīyārcita liṃgabhaktaḥ
اگرچہ کسی نے اس دنیا میں بڑے بڑے گناہ کیے ہوں، پھر بھی دھرمیشور کی پوجا ایک بار کر لے تو وہ کیوں ڈرے؟ وہ گویا آپ کا عزیز رشتہ دار بن جاتا ہے، کیونکہ وہ آپ کے معبود لِنگ کا بھکت ہے۔
Śiva (deduced, addressing Dharma)
Tirtha: Dharmeśvara (liṅga)
Type: kshetra
Listener: Dharma (Dharmarāja)
Scene: A repentant sinner performs a single worship of Dharmeśvara; fear dissolves; Dharma regards him as a dear kinsman due to devotion to the liṅga associated with Dharma’s own worship.
FAQs
Even a single act of sincere worship can transform the sinner’s destiny into fearlessness through Śiva’s grace.
The Dharmeśvara shrine in Kāśī (within the Dharma-pīṭha context of this chapter).
Performing dharmeśvarārcā (worship of Dharmeśvara) even once.