Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 39
कृपणोपि वदान्यः स्याद्वदान्यः कृपणो यदि । प्रकृतेर्विकृतिश्चेत्स्यात्तदा पंचत्वमृच्छति
kṛpaṇopi vadānyaḥ syādvadānyaḥ kṛpaṇo yadi | prakṛtervikṛtiścetsyāttadā paṃcatvamṛcchati
Nếu kẻ keo kiệt bỗng trở nên hào thí, hoặc người hào thí lại hóa keo kiệt—nếu bản tính tự nhiên bị biến dạng như vậy—thì người ấy đi đến “pañcatva”, tức tan vào năm đại (cái chết).
Skanda (deduced; Kāśīkhaṇḍa commonly Skanda speaking to Agastya)
Tirtha: Kāśī
Type: kshetra
Listener: Kāśī-mahātmya audience
Scene: A split-panel allegory: on one side a miser suddenly gives away wealth; on the other a generous man clutches coins—both under the shadow of the five elements reclaiming the body (earth-water-fire-air-ether motifs) and a cremation-ghāṭ horizon.
FAQs
A sudden reversal in one’s moral tendencies is treated as a serious sign; therefore one should stabilize the mind in dharma and seek the highest refuge in Śiva.
The broader Kāśīkhaṇḍa context points to Kāśī as the sacred geography where liberation is made accessible through Viśveśvara.
No explicit rite is stated; the verse identifies an inner sign (character inversion) to prompt immediate spiritual discipline.