Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 32
वृथा कुल वृथा विद्या वृथा यज्ञा वृथातपः । वृथा दानानि तस्येह कलौ गंगां न यो भजेत्
vṛthā kula vṛthā vidyā vṛthā yajñā vṛthātapaḥ | vṛthā dānāni tasyeha kalau gaṃgāṃ na yo bhajet
Trong thời Kali, ai không tôn thờ và phụng kính Mẫu thần Gaṅgā thì dòng dõi, học vấn, tế lễ, khổ hạnh và bố thí của người ấy đều trở nên vô ích.
Skanda (deduced: Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda → Agastya)
Tirtha: Gaṅgā (Kāśī)
Type: ghat
Listener: Pārvatī or a primary interlocutor within Kāśīkhaṇḍa narration (contextual)
Scene: A preacher-sage at a Kāśī ghāṭa points to the flowing Gaṅgā while householders and ascetics listen; behind them rise temple spires and lamps, emphasizing Kali-yuga urgency and the river’s supremacy over lineage and learning.
FAQs
For Kali-yuga, the Purāṇic emphasis shifts to accessible salvific practices—Gaṅgā-bhajana is exalted as central.
Gaṅgā as the principal tīrtha whose worship makes other religious acts meaningful.
Bhajana/upāsanā (devotional worship/service) of Gaṅgā is prescribed, especially relevant for Kali-yuga.