Skandapurana 4.52.9.3

4.52.9.3

mayā vyadhāyi bahudhā sṛṣṭiḥ sṛṣṭiṃ vitanvatā ..
paramanyādṛśī kāśī svayaṃ viśveśa nirmitiḥ.. 4.2.52.30 ..
iti hṛṣṭamanā vedhā dṛṣṭvā vārāṇasīṃ purīm ..
vṛddhabrāhmaṇarūpeṇa rājānaṃ ca dadarśa ha .. 31 ..
jalārdrākṣatapāṇiśca svastyuktvā pṛthivībhuje ..
kṛtapraṇāmo rājñātha bheje taddattamāsanam ..32..
kṛtamāno nṛpatinā sobhyutthānāsanādibhiḥ ..
vipro vyajijñapadbhūpaṃ pṛṣṭāgamanakāraṇam .. 33 ..
.. brāhmaṇa uvāca .. ..
bhūpāla bahukālīnosmyahamatra ciraṃtanaḥ ..
tvaṃ tu māṃ naiva jānāsi jāne tvāṃ hi ripuṃjayam .. .. 34 ..
paraḥśatā mayā dṛṣṭā rājāno bhūridakṣiṇāḥ ..
vijitānekasaṃgrāmā yāyajūkā jiteṃdriyāḥ .. 35 ..
viniṣkṛtāriṣaḍvargāḥ suśīlāḥ sattvaśālinaḥ ..
śrutasyapāradṛśvāno rājanītivicakṣaṇāḥ .. 36 ..
dayādākṣiṇyanipuṇāḥ satyavrataparāyaṇāḥ ..
kṣamayā kṣamayātulyā gāṃbhīryajitasāgarāḥ .. 37 ..
jitaroṣarayāḥ śūrāḥ saumyasauṃdaryabhūmayaḥ ..
ityādi guṇasaṃpannāḥ susaṃcitayaśodhanāḥ ..38..
paraṃ dvitrāḥ pavitrā ye rājarṣe tava sadguṇāḥ ..
teṣveṣu rājasu mama prāyaśo na dṛśaṃ gatāḥ .. 39 ..
prajānijakuṭuṃbastvaṃ tvaṃ tu bhūdevadaivataḥ ..
mahātapaḥ sahāyastvaṃ pathānānye tathā nṛpāḥ .. 4.2.52.40 ..
dhanyo mānyosi ca satāṃ pūjanīyosi sadguṇaiḥ ..
devā api divodāsa tvattrāsānna vimārgagāḥ .. 41 ..
kiṃ naḥ stutyā tava nṛpa dvijānāmaspṛhāvatām ..
kiṃ kurmastvadguṇagrāmāḥ stāvakānnaḥ prakurvate ..42..
goṣṭhī tiṣṭhatviyaṃ tāvatprastutaṃ staumi sāṃpratam ..
yaṣṭukāmosmyahaṃ rājaṃstvāṃ sahāyamato vṛṇe ..43..
tvayā rājanvatī caiṣā'vaniḥ sarvardhibhājanam ..

"Many kinds of creation were made by me as I unfolded the universe;
but Kāśī is unique, fashioned by the Lord of the Universe Himself."
With his mind delighted thus after seeing the city of Vārāṇasī,
the Creator, in the form of an old brahmin, saw the king.
With his hand holding water and unhusked barley-grains, having spoken a blessing to the ruler of the earth,
he was saluted with reverence by the king, and then sat on the seat offered by him.
Honored by the king with rising to greet him, offering a seat, and so forth,
the brahmin addressed the king, who asked the reason for his arrival:

The brahmin said:
"O protector of the earth, I have been here for a very long time; I am an ancient resident.
You, however, do not know me at all, but I know you, Ripuñjaya!
More than a hundred kings have been seen by me, who gave lavish priestly gifts,
conquered numerous battles, performed sacrifices, and controlled their senses;
who had cast out the group of six inner enemies, were of noble conduct, rich in virtue,
had crossed to the far shore of Vedic learning, and were skilled in statecraft;
who were adept in compassion and courtesy, dedicated to the vow of truth,
equal to the earth in forgiveness, and surpassed the ocean in profundity;
who conquered the surge of anger, were heroic, and were abodes of gentle beauty;
endowed with such virtues, who had well amassed the wealth of renown.
Yet, O royal sage, those two or three holy virtues of yours—
they have mostly not come into my sight among any of those kings!
Your subjects are your own family; you revere brahmins as deities;
you are an ally of great austerity: other kings were not of this path.
You are blessed and respected by the good; you are worthy of worship for your noble virtues.
Even the gods, O Divodāsa, do not wander from the path out of fear of you!
What need have we, desireless brahmins, of praising you, O king?
What can we do? The multitude of your virtues turns us into panegyrists!
Let this discourse rest for now; I shall speak of the matter at hand.
I wish to perform a sacrifice, O king, and therefore I choose you as my helper.
With you as its ruler, this earth is an abode of all prosperity.