Skanda Purana — Kashi Khanda, Shloka 50
यो धर्मपीठं प्रतिलभ्य काश्यां स्वश्रेयसे नो यततेऽत्र मर्त्यः । कथं स धर्मत्वमिवातितेजाः करिष्यति स्वं कृतकृत्यमेव । त्वया यथाप्ता इह धर्मराज मनोरथास्ते गुरुभिस्तपोभिः । तथैव धर्मेश्वरभक्तिभाजां कामाः फलिष्यंति न संशयोत्र
yo dharmapīṭhaṃ pratilabhya kāśyāṃ svaśreyase no yatate'tra martyaḥ | kathaṃ sa dharmatvamivātitejāḥ kariṣyati svaṃ kṛtakṛtyameva | tvayā yathāptā iha dharmarāja manorathāste gurubhistapobhiḥ | tathaiva dharmeśvarabhaktibhājāṃ kāmāḥ phaliṣyaṃti na saṃśayotra
凡人既已抵达迦尸（Kāśī）——达摩之座——却不在此为自身最高福祉而精进，他又怎能成就真正所当成就之事，仿佛仅凭光耀便可得“达摩之位”一般？噢，阎摩法王（Dharmarāja），正如你曾在此以广大苦行（tapas）成就所愿，同样，奉爱达摩自在天（Dharmeśvara）者之诸愿必定结果，此中无疑。
Śiva (deduced, addressing Dharmarāja/Dharma)
Tirtha: Kāśī (Dharma-pīṭha) with Dharmeśvara focus
Type: kshetra
Listener: Dharma (Dharmarāja)
Scene: Śiva admonishes that one who reaches Kāśī yet fails to strive for highest good wastes the Dharma-seat; Dharmarāja is recalled performing great tapas and attaining aims; devotees of Dharmeśvara are promised certain fruition.
FAQs
Having reached Kāśī, one should actively pursue spiritual welfare; devotion to Dharmeśvara is assured to fructify, as demonstrated by Dharmarāja’s tapas.
Kāśī itself is praised as the ‘Dharma-pīṭha’ (seat of Dharma), with Dharmeśvara as its empowering deity.
Tapas (austerity) and dharmeśvara-bhakti (devotional worship) are upheld as the means for attaining desired ends.