Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 50
भूमिं भित्त्वा स्वयं जातस्तत्प्रासादमिषेण हि । आनंदाख्यस्य कंदस्य कोप्येष परमोंकुरः
bhūmiṃ bhittvā svayaṃ jātastatprāsādamiṣeṇa hi | ānaṃdākhyasya kaṃdasya kopyeṣa paramoṃkuraḥ
Xuyên qua lòng đất, điều này tự mình vươn dậy—quả như mượn cớ cung điện ấy; nó tựa mầm tối thượng của củ rễ mang tên ‘Ānanda’ (Hỷ Lạc).
Skanda (deduced for Kāśīkhaṇḍa context, addressing Agastya)
Tirtha: Kāśī-kṣetra (svayaṃjāta-prāsāda motif)
Type: kshetra
Listener: Interlocutor in Kāśīkhaṇḍa frame (contextual)
Scene: From the earth’s depths, a radiant temple-edifice rises like a luminous sprout; roots of ‘ānanda’ glow beneath, while the city of Kāśī forms a cosmic mandala around the manifestation.
FAQs
Kāśī’s sacred forms are portrayed as spontaneous manifestations of ānanda (divine bliss), not merely human constructions.
Kāśī, specifically the wondrous palace/mandapa whose presence is described as self-arisen and bliss-born.
No explicit ritual; the verse teaches contemplative recognition of Kāśī’s divine, self-manifest greatness.