Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 85
अपास्य सोदरान्दारान्पुत्रं क्षेत्रं गृहं वसु । अप्यंगीकृत्य निधनं सर्वे काशीमुपासते
apāsya sodarāndārānputraṃ kṣetraṃ gṛhaṃ vasu | apyaṃgīkṛtya nidhanaṃ sarve kāśīmupāsate
Gạt bỏ anh em, vợ, con, ruộng đất, nhà cửa và của cải—thậm chí chấp nhận cả cái chết—người đời vẫn một lòng phụng thờ Kāśī.
Skanda (contextual continuation)
Tirtha: Kāśī
Type: kshetra
Scene: A group of pilgrims leaving behind a household scene—brothers, spouse, child, fields, and wealth symbolized—walking toward Kāśī’s ghāṭas with resolute faces; in the distance, temple spires and the Gaṅgā glow, suggesting acceptance of death for a higher aim.
FAQs
The verse celebrates the supreme value of Kāśī: seekers prioritize the sacred kṣetra over worldly ties, even at the cost of life.
Kāśī (Vārāṇasī) as the ultimate object of upāsanā and pilgrimage aspiration.
Upāsanā—steadfast devotion/attendance upon Kāśī, implying pilgrimage residence and sustained worship.