Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 42
आप्रयागं प्रतिदिनं प्रयामः क्षुधिता वयम् । आहारकाम्यया क्वापि परं नो किंचिदाप्नुमः
āprayāgaṃ pratidinaṃ prayāmaḥ kṣudhitā vayam | āhārakāmyayā kvāpi paraṃ no kiṃcidāpnumaḥ
ہم بھوکے رہ کر ہر روز پریاگ تک بھٹکتے ہیں، خوراک کی طلب میں؛ مگر ہمیں کچھ بھی حاصل نہیں ہوتا۔
Preta (a departed spirit), speaking to a sage within Skanda’s Kāśī narrative frame
Tirtha: Prayāga
Type: sangam
Listener: tapasvin
Scene: Emaciated pilgrims walking long dusty roads with begging bowls, sun overhead; in the far distance, a confluence city silhouette or riverbanks suggest Prayāga; their faces show fatigue and resolve.
FAQs
Restlessness and craving do not yield fulfillment; the preta-state is shown as deprivation, urging dharmic living and purification.
Prayāga is mentioned as a major tīrtha within North Indian sacred geography, alongside the broader Kāśī narrative.
No explicit rite; the verse alludes to the theme of sustenance and merit connected with tīrtha-regions.