Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 52
वाराणसी तीर्थमयी समस्ता यस्यास्तुनामापि हि तीर्थतीर्थम् । तत्रापि काचिन्मम सौख्यभूमिर्महापवित्रा मणिकर्णिकासौ
vārāṇasī tīrthamayī samastā yasyāstunāmāpi hi tīrthatīrtham | tatrāpi kācinmama saukhyabhūmirmahāpavitrā maṇikarṇikāsau
Vārāṇasī là nơi kết tụ toàn thể các tīrtha; ngay cả danh xưng của nó cũng là “tīrtha trong các tīrtha.” Và trong ấy có một miền đất đặc biệt làm ta hoan hỷ—Maṇikarṇikā, nơi tẩy tịnh tối thượng.
Śiva/Viśvanātha (deduced from ‘mama saukhya-bhūmiḥ’)
Tirtha: Vārāṇasī (Kāśī) and Maṇikarṇikā
Type: kshetra
Scene: A panoramic sacred cityscape where every lane and ghāṭa is depicted as a tīrtha-spring; the word ‘Vārāṇasī’ appears as a luminous mantra in the sky; Maṇikarṇikā is highlighted with a radiant aura over the steps and water.
FAQs
Kāśī is portrayed as intrinsically sacred, with Maṇikarṇikā highlighted as an especially purifying and beloved locus within it.
Vārāṇasī (Kāśī) in general, and Maṇikarṇikā in particular.
No explicit ritual is stated; the verse functions to inspire tīrtha-yātrā and reverence for Maṇikarṇikā as a purifier.