Skandapurana 4.44

Skanda said: / Then, Hara, the lord of the universe, residing in a jeweled palace of peerless brilliance shining within the caves of Mount Mandara, / surrounded on all sides by the gods, and clothing the sky with his own peaks— / he, charming with a slender digit of the moon, / the author of peace, did not find happiness, burning with fever born of separation from expanding Kāśī. / The paste of Malaya-born sandalwood, applied even by the foe of Tripura to cool the fire of separation, / now truly assumed a burning thirst.

The soft [lotus-stalks] of lotus ponds that remove burning heat were turned into bracelets;

when they were pronounced by the Lord to be snakes, they became truly so—ah, the will of the Great Lord!

The full moon, soft essence churned from the ocean of milk and extracted by the gods,

became emaciated, its body dissolving under the heat radiating from the head of the Lord, burned by separation.

Because Hara, afflicted with burning pain, held the celestial river

which removes anguish in the broad corner of the bower of his matted hair, he does not release it even now.

Śaṃkara, master of his senses, was forcibly brought under the power of that great longing of separation;

he sat despondent among the assembled gods, enveloped by intense torment.

It is an exceedingly wondrous thing that though he is himself the pure fire,

the lord of the three worlds was scorched by the fire born of separation from his own city.

He who continually adorns his forehead with a digit of the moon—

that very moon, quite contrarily, burned even that Lord.

Poison glistens in the region of his throat, yet he was not tormented by that;

wondrously, he was tormented only by the clusters of cold rays of the nectar-rayed [moon]!

To remove that anguish of separation with splashes of gleaming water mixed with yellow sandalwood,

his heart burned even from that, but not from the fiery breaths arising from the hoods of expanding serpents.

Hara destroys every delusion arising from the false notion of a snake in a garland and the like;

wondrous it is that in his case, even on a real garland, the delusion arose that it was a great snake!

Though he completely removes the threefold torment even when merely brought into the path of memory,

the Unborn himself, tormented by separation from Kāśī, spoke somewhat to himself:

“If only the breeze coming from Kāśī would embrace my limbs,

then my burning torment would find peace; it does not do so even by immersion in Lake Mānasa!

Alas, how would that burning torment have subsided which was fostered by Dakṣa's daughter,

if the daughter of the Himālaya had not swiftly become a life-giving creeper for me?

Dakṣa's daughter, passing away when abandoning her body, did not cause my mind to suffer

as it burns intensely with this immense heat born of separation from Avimukta!

O Kāśī, when shall I joyfully attain again the happiness born of embracing you,

by which my wonderful limbs will immediately become cooled?

O Kāśī, destroyer of multitudes of sins, the fire born of separation from you,

wondrously flares up with the gentle nectar streams of the moon's digit as if with clarified butter!

Formerly, my burning pain born of separation from Dakṣa's daughter vanished through the medicine that was the daughter of the Himālaya;

now, indeed, I shall by no means attain peace unless I quickly behold Kāśī!”

Reciting thus in his mind, Śiva, entirely concealing the outward signs of his torment,

was somehow perceived as separated [from his beloved] by the Mother of the World, the mother of intellects. // 4.1.44.20

Though she formed half his body, she did not know the cause of his longing;

he, the destroyer of the burning distress of bowed living beings, was addressed with words by his beloved: // 21

Śrī Pārvatī said:

“O omnipresent one, everything is in your hand! What separation can there be for you, whose yoga shines forth?

Ah, your ashes grant prosperity; though she bears the shoots of every misfortune, the earth bears all creatures! // 22

O Lord, through not beholding you, the worlds instantly go to ruin like something pitiful.

Even an ordinary person cast out from your fraction of grace was once affirmed by you with ‘Om’. // 23

The moon, the sun, and fire do not cause you distress,

since, O three-eyed one, they are your eyes; and your beloved [Gaṅgā] of sparkling water rests on your crest. // 24

These serpents of yours never bite, and poison does not spread [in you], O blue-throated one!

And I, O Vāmadeva, am the fair woman making up your left side, united with your mind. // 25 //”

When this beneficial speech was thus spoken by the mother of the seeds of cyclic existence,

Giriśa took up speech to reply to that weaving of words. // 26

The Lord said:

“Ah, Kāśī!” Saying this, Bhava, who possesses the eight forms, manifested the eight emotions.

Quickly Śivā realized: “Surely Hara has been captivated by Kāśī!” // 27

Then, having the creepers of that forest as her childhood companions, Śivā introduced the topic of that forsaken city which bestows liberation. // 28

Pārvatī said:

“Let us go, O Bhava, destroyer of Smara, to the city of Kāśī, / held aloft upon your trident even during the cosmic dissolution when the waters meet the vault of heaven,

which displays the beauty of a white lotus! // 29

The earth of the king of mountains, though exceedingly beautiful, does not please me, O Dhūrjaṭi,

as does your Kāśikā, the foremost of cities, which, though situated upon the earth, is truly not of the earth! // 4.1.44.30

Where, in Kāśī, there is no fear born of the Kali age; where, in Kāśī, there is no rebirth after death;

where, in Kāśī, there is no fear arising from sin—O Lord, how may she become a guest of our eyes? // 31

Are there not here thousands of cities, grounds of all prosperity at every step?

Yet none equal to Kāśī has ever come within the range of my eyes; I swear by you, O Śiva! // 32

Are there not in heaven hundreds of cities, birthplaces of every wonder?

Yet all those cities become like blades of grass before your abode, O enemy of the cities, enemy of worldly existence! // 33

The fever born of separation from Kāśī does not merely torment you, but torments me just as much here.

The remedy for quenching this burning heat is either that city, or else my birthplace. // 34

I did not consider my birthplace capable of quelling the burning heat born of separation,

once I reached Kāśī, which grants complete peace and is the cause of destroying all anguish. // 35

Here, the Fortune of liberation was never seen face-to-face anywhere by any embodied being;

I know, O granter of bliss, that this Kāśikā is indeed liberation incarnate, granting all happiness. // 36

Liberation is not attained here by samādhi through steadying the senses, nor by abandoning that samādhi,

nor by the rites of sacrifices, nor by knowledge of the Vedas, as it is by shedding the body in Kāśī. // 37

There is no such happiness in heaven, so how could there be in the exceedingly beautiful realm of Pātāla?

Where is there even talk of a shelter of joy among mortals such as belongs to one who merely bears a body in Kāśī? // 38

In your sacred field, the Avimukta, O bearer of the trident, never forsaken by the Fortune of liberation,

the best of living beings who applies even his mind always practices the six-limbed yoga. // 39

By men here, bodily perfection is not quickly attained through six-limbed yoga

in such a way as it is attained with ease by reaching Kāśī and fixing one's gaze upon you for an instant, O Śiva. // 4.1.44.40

Better indeed is the state of a beast, devoid of intellect, than human existence, the receptacle of much intellect,

whose rising is fruitless without the sight of Kāśī, resembling a bubble on the water all around. // 41

Fulfilled are the two eyes that have seen Kāśī; fulfilled is the body dwelling in Śiva’s Kāśī;

fulfilled is the mind that has taken shelter in Kāśī; fulfilled is the face turned toward Kāśī. // 42

Better indeed is that dust of Kāśī, exceedingly pure, destroying passion and darkness, radiant like moonlight,

which, reaching the forehead of those who prostrate on the ground of Maṇikarṇikā, is highly honored by the gods! // 43

Neither the world of the gods, nor Satyaloka, nor the world of the Nāgas

can match Maṇikarṇikā, where the ear of one making the great departure becomes the receptacle of the elixir of Brahman. // 44

The ground of Maṇikarṇikā is a place of great splendor, where the mass of darkness comes to an end—

that darkness which, though nourished across hundreds of lifetimes, cannot be subdued by the rays of the sun, fire, and moon! // 45

Is it the auspicious throne of the state of nirvāṇa, or the soft couch of the Fortune of liberation,

or rather is the ground of Maṇikarṇikā the birthplace of the excellent bulb of supreme bliss? // 46

Where the number of past liberated beings is counted by people sitting happily

with gleaming, fine gravel, yearning for the great festival of casting off their own bodies! // 47 //”

Skanda said:

O sage, Aparṇā, having thus described the city of Vārāṇasī,

again addressed the wielder of the Pināka for the sake of regaining Kāśī:

The glorious Pārvatī said:

“O Lord of the Pramathas, Lord of all, whose conduct is ever independent!

O giver of boons, act in such a way that I may go to Ānandavana.”

Skanda said:

Then, having heard Girijā’s words, charming with the praise of Kāśī

and surpassing the sweetness of nectar, Giriśa, delighted, [spoke]:

The glorious God of gods said:

“Ah, dearest Gaurī! By the drops of nectar of your speech

I am thoroughly gratified. Now I shall strive to regain Kāśī.

You know, O great goddess, that great vow of mine:

I enjoy a thing that has not been enjoyed before by another, not anything else.

Since King Divodāsa, by the word of the Grandfather,

rules the city righteously, what means may be devised?

How can that king, devoted to righteousness and intent on protecting his subjects,

King Divodāsa, be separated from the city of Kāśī?

An obstacle can affect only one who walks in unrighteousness, and none other.

Therefore, whom shall I send, O goddess, who could separate him from Kāśī?

Whoever causes an obstacle to those pursuing the path of righteousness,

to that very person, on the contrary, an obstacle arises, O increaser of my love!

Without a flaw, I do not venture to overthrow that king;

for it is by me indeed, my dear, that the upholders of righteousness must be protected.

Old age does not overcome him; death does not seek to slay him;

diseases do not afflict him: these three belong to the follower of righteousness’ path.”

Reflecting thus, the Lord saw before him the circle of Yoginīs,

exceedingly mature, capable of accomplishing difficult tasks.

Then, having deliberated with the goddess, O great sage, Vyomakeśa,

Hara, summoned the host of Yoginīs and spoke these words:

“Go quickly, O Yoginīs, to my city Vārāṇasī,

where King Divodāsa amply rules the kingdom with righteousness.

So that the king, falling from his own duty, may swiftly abandon Kāśī,

contrive, O wise ones, endowed with the power of illusory magic.

So that I, having restored the city of Vārāṇasī anew,

may go from here, O Yoginīs, act quickly!”

Having thus received the favor and bearing his command upon their heads,

having bowed down, the group of Yoginīs departed from there.

Entering the sky, with a speed greater even than thought,

those Yoginīs went along, speaking to one another with joy:

“Today we are exceedingly fortunate, since by the God of gods himself,

favored, we have been dispatched to the glorious Ānandakānana.

Today, all at once, two great gains, not easily attained, have occurred:

honor from the King with the Three Eyes, and the sight of Kāśī.”

Thus, with joyful minds, that host of Yoginīs, leaving the bower of Mount Mandara

and quickening their speed of flight in the sky, made that city a guest of their eyes.

Thus ends the forty-fourth chapter, named 'The Description of Kāśī,' in the first half of the Kāśīkhaṇḍa, in the glorious Skanda Mahāpurāṇa consisting of eighty-one thousand verses.