Skandapurana 4.52.9.2

4.52.9.2

ariṣṭaṃ gaccha paṃthāste śubhodarko bhavatvalam..
ādāyājñāṃ vidhi mūrdhni yayau vārāṇasīṃ mudā ..16..
sitahaṃsarathastūrṇaṃ prāpya vārāṇasīṃ purīm ..
kṛtakṛtyamivātmānamamanyata tadātmabhūḥ .. .. 17 ..
haṃsayānaphalaṃ medya jātaṃ kāśīsamāgame ..
kāśī prāptau yataḥ proktā aṃtarāyāḥ padepade .. 18 ..
dṛśi dhāturabhūdya madṛśo prāpya sānvayaḥ ..
spaṣṭaṃ dṛṣṭipathaṃ prāptā yadeṣā''naṃdavāṭikā .. 19 ..
svayaṃ siṃcati yā madbhiḥ svābhiḥ svargataraṃgiṇī ..
yatrānaṃdamayā vṛkṣā yatrānaṃdamayā janāḥ.. 4.2.52.20 ..
nirviśaṃti sadā kāśyāṃ phalānyānaṃdavaṃtyapi..
sadaivānaṃdabhūḥ kāśī sadaivānaṃdadaḥ śivaḥ .. 21 ..
ānaṃdarūpā jāyaṃte tena kāśyāṃ hi jaṃtavaḥ ..
caraṇau carituṃ vittastāveva kṛtināmiha .. .. 22 ..
caraṇau vicaretāṃyau viśvabhartṛ purī bhuvi ..
tāveva śravaṇau śrotuṃ saṃvidā te bahuśrutau .. 23 ..
iha śrutimatāṃ puṃsāṃ yābhyāṃ kāśī śrutā sakṛt ..
tadeva manute sarvaṃ manastviha manasvināma .. 24 ..
yenānumanyate caiṣā kāśī sarvapramāṇabhūḥ ..
buddhirbudhyati sā sarvamiha buddhimatāṃ satām ..
yayaitaddhūrjaṭerdhāma dhṛtaṃ sva viṣayīkṛtam .. 25 ..
varaṃ tṛṇāni dhānyāni tāni vātyāhatānyapi ..
kāśyāṃ yānyā pataṃtīha na janāḥ kāśyadarśanāḥ .. 26 .. .
adya me saphalaṃ cāyuḥ parārdhadvaya saṃmitam ..
yasminsati mayā prāpi duṣprāpā kāśikā purī .. 27 ..
aho me dharmasaṃpattirahome bhāgyagauravam ..
yadadrākṣiṣamadyāhaṃ kāśīṃ sucira ciṃtitām .. 28 ..
adya me svatapo vṛkṣo manorathaphalairalam ..
śivabhaktyaṃbunā siktaḥ phalitoti bṛhattaraiḥ .. 29 ..

"Go without obstacle; let your path have an auspicious outcome!"
Taking the command upon his head, Brahmā went to Vārāṇasī with joy.
Quickly reaching the city of Vārāṇasī with his white-swan chariot,
the self-born Brahmā then considered himself to have achieved his purpose.
"Today the fruit of having a swan as my mount has been realized upon reaching Kāśī;
for at every step, obstacles are said to arise on the path to Kāśī.
Today the root *dṛś* ['to see'] has become meaningful in connection with my eyes,
since this pleasure-garden has clearly entered my field of vision—
which the river of heaven itself sprinkles with its waters,
where the trees are made of bliss, where the people are made of bliss!
In Kāśī they constantly enjoy blissful fruits as well;
Kāśī is forever the ground of bliss, and Śiva is forever the giver of bliss.
Therefore, living beings born in Kāśī are indeed embodiments of bliss.
Those alone are feet known to walk among the fortunate here,
which would walk about the earthly city of the Sustainer of the Universe.
Those alone are ears known as greatly learned in knowledge,
by which Kāśī has been heard of once in this world among men versed in the Vedas.
That alone thinks of everything, which is the mind among the wise in this world,
by which this Kāśī, the ground of all authorities, is acknowledged.
That intelligence alone understands everything here among the wise and virtuous,
by which this abode of Dhūrjaṭi is held and made its object.
Far better are those blades of grass and grains, even if tossed by a whirlwind,
that fall here in Kāśī, than men who have never seen Kāśī!
Today my lifespan, measured at two parārdhas, has borne fruit,
since during its course the city of Kāśikā, so difficult to reach, was reached by me!
Ah, the wealth of my merit! Ah, the greatness of my good fortune,
that today I have seen Kāśī, so long contemplated!
Today the tree of my austerity has borne abundant, truly great fruits
consisting of the fruits of my desires, sprinkled with the water of devotion to Śiva.