Kashi / Banaras : Skand Puran

There are many sacred places to be visited in India but Kashi in itself is one of the greatest pilgrimage. Many shashtras have sung praises of it. In Skand puran also Mahadev has eulogized its sacredness to Mother Parvati. So some stories, certain important aspects of various places are being shared here for the information of all. After reading it, when one visits Kashi, one may try to locate the mentioned places and get the fruit of doing specific things there. It is quite possible some places may not be found as the names may have changed in the present times. But still it is worth an effort to locate as many of the places mentioned as possible.

At the end of Mahapralaya when whole of the creation was annihilated, no living beings were left, no planet was left, only Brahm who is explained by the Shrutis as ‘EKMEVADWITIYAM’ was left, who is beyond mind and speech, has no name or form, is effulgence, without any base, is the only one, without any beginning or end, completely at peace, omnipresent and omniscient. In the mind of such a divine power a thought came that I should divide in to two. Though it was without any form yet it divided to play. The form which was manifested out of it was with all resplendence, all knowledge, cause of all and only one to be praised and THAT was HE (Shiva). He was called Ishwar. Then Ishwar created Parvati out of him and at the same time from the ‘timeless’ appeared KASHI.

Both Shiva and Parvati started roaming in Kashi. Even at annihilation it is said that they do not leave Kashi, hence it is called Avimukt kshetra. It gives joy to the lord and hence it is called Ananad Van. Lord Shiva looked at his left side and from there appeared Vishnu. He had lotus eyes, wearing two golden clothes. His navel was full of lotus perfume and had a strong and beautiful body. He was possessor of all the kalas and was called Purushottam.

On prompting of lord Shiva, Purushottam went for tapasya. He with chakra dug a pushkarani and filled it with his own sweat. On the banks of it he did great penance for a long time. Lord Shiva became pleased with him and asked him to seek a boon. On asked to give darshan, Shiva gave darshan to Purushottam and told him that he has lost one kundal adorned with a mani on the bank of this pushkarni and hence it is to be called MANIKARNIKA TITRTH. Since muktikaya kundal has fallen here hence it would also be known as AVIMUKT KSHETRA or MUKTI KSHETRA. Since here jyoti appeared in the form of Shiva hence it is called KASHI. From Brhama to jeeva, whosoever leaves the mortal body here will be granted moksha and whosoever will chant the name of Kashi, all their sins will be burnt immediately.

Kashi is five kos in length and is exceptionally dear to the lord. Here, only the writ of Shiva works and even Yama has no say in this city. There are two river which flow here, one is Varun ( in north) and other is Asi ( in south) and hence the name of Varanasi came to be known. Whosever living even at distance of 100 kos just repeats the name of kashi all his bad deeds are cut asunder.

Any one who offers Ganges water to a Shivlingam for the purpose of ancestors, even if they are in narak, they get satiated.

Even if a drop of ashtdravya ( water, milk, cow milk curd, ghee, honey, Kushagr, red Chandan and red Kaner flower) are offered to lord Sun, then the offerer along with his ancestors resides in the realm of Sun.

During eclipse of sun, or when both day and night are equal i.e Visuvyog- Chaitra – Navami, Ashwin – Navami, Solar eclipse occurring on Sunday or lunar eclipse occurring on Monday, bath in Ganges on that day is highly beneficial.

On Dashmi of Jyeshtha Shukla paksh when hasta nakshatra is there, one should sit on the banks of river Ganges and perform its poojan with ten different flowers, sweets, dhoop, Deepak. Offer this pooja ten times and then offer ten palmfull ghrityukt seasame seeds in to the waters of Ganga. Then offer ten pandas made put of jaggery and barley to Ganges with following mantra

Om! Namah Shivayai Narayanyai Dash Harayai Gangayai Swaha ( 20 akshar mantra).

Also perform poojan of Shiva, Vishnu, Brahma, surya, Himvaan, Bhagirath. Offer 10 ser of black sesame seeds to ten Brahmins. Keep fast whole of the day. By doing this one gets free of ten kinds of sins. 3 of body, 4 of speech and 3 of mind. After this one may do path of Ganga ji with stotra, Om Namah shivayai Gangayai……….Namah Shive. (Skand puran, geeta press,page 582-583).

In the north-east side of this tirth, Ishan roams around free as per desire. Whosoever takes bath in this tirth on a Monday and performs Dev, Rishi and Pitr tarpan is benefitted greatly. One who performs sandhya upasana near Gyanvapi that dwij instantly burns all the sins pertaining to time & lok and gets great knowledge. This is Shiv tirth, it is also called Gyan tirth, Tarak tirth and Moksha tirth.

Manikarnika Ghat: Here death is considered auspicious, where life spent is considered good and heavens are considered just like a blade of grass. Here only is the Kapalmochan tirth where kapal fell from the hands of the Bhairav. This is Omkareshwar place where Par Brahm is alone shining. By having darshan of Vishwanath with devotion one gets the fruit of life long celibacy. One should take bath wearing clothes here.

Kashidevi: Just by Her darshan one does not come back in to the mothers womb again.

Chaturvedeshwar: Keeps all the four Vedas and by darshan alone one gets the fruit of studying all the four Vedas.

Yagyeshwar: By having darshan of this Lingam one gets the fruit of performing all kinds of yagyas.

Dharmshastrshwar: By darshan of this Lingam one gets the fruit of studying all the dharm shastras.

Puraneshwar: By darshan of this lingam one gets the fruit of studying all the eighteen puraans.

Sarswatling: It annihilates all kinds of ignorance.

Sapt Tirtheshwar ling: It gives instant cleansing or shudhi.

Saptsagareshwar: Darshan of this lingam gives the fruit of bathing in all the seven seas.

Baneshwar: Sahasrabahu Arjun use to perform poojan of this lingam.

Bhrig Keshav and Vam Keshav: Both are Nar and Narayan.

Sarsvat Srot: Just by taking a dip in it one does not come back on this earth again.

Bindumadhav: This lingam is Luxmi pati. By devotedly bowing down to it, one does not come back in to mother’s womb, all his diseases are removed. This is the only one which naad form, prana form Parmatama.

Mayukhaditya: It annihilates ignorance.

Gabhasteeshwar: It provies divine light.

Dhaut Papeshwar: It washes away all the sins.

Kapileshwar linga: By darshan of it what to say humans even monkeys gets mukti.

Sri Kaalraj mandir: It removes the pain of kaliyug.

Madakini: She came here for tapasya, on experiencing the pleasure of Kashi stay even today she does not want to go to heavens. It one performs sharadh of ancestors here with proper procedure even sinner wont see the face of narak.

Dharamkoop: By offering panda to ancestors here they attain Brahmlok.

Garudeshwar Linga: Just by touching and doing its poojan one gets divine knowledge.

Khakholakaditya in Paishangal tirth: By its darshan one gets instantly disease free and gets desired fruit.

Pishachmochan Tirth: One takes a dip here performs sandhya, vandana, tarpan and pind daan here his ancestors gets released from pishach yoni if they are there even.

Panchganga: Sun did great tapasya here in Kashi and by the rays of Mayukhaditya, great perspiration arose which took the form of Kirna river. It met Dhootpapa. One who bathes in the sangam of the two rivers his darkness of ignorance is removed.

King Bhagirath, son of King Dalip brought Ganga, Yamuna and Saraswati here in Kashi. When they met Kirna and Dhootpapa the meeting was known as Panchganga. By taking a bath in it one dies not get a body of five elements again. All his sins are removed. One pierces the brahmand mandal and is elevated to the higher realms. After bath, tarpan, poojan etc here, one who does poojan of Bindumadhav, that person does not take birth in this world again. His ancestors who have gone to various yonis, they also are set free. In Satyug it was called Dharmnad, in Treta it was called Dhootpapa, in Dwapar it was called Bindutirth and in Kaliyug it is called Panchnad tirth. Here offering of even one ahuti in yajna is equal to offering 10 million ahutis elsewhere.

Kapila Kund: Sunanada, Sumana, Sushila, Surbhi and Kapila, these five divine cows filled up this kund with their own milk. By offering of pind daan and tarpan here, all the ancestors gets fully satisfied. It a shradh karm is performed on Amvasya on a Monday, it becomes eternal.

It has ten different names Madhusrava, Kritkritya, Ksheersagar, Vrishdhwajtirth, Pitamah Tirth, Gadadhar Tirth, Pitri tirth, Kapildhara, Sudhkhani and Shivgaya. Here even if shradh tarpan and not performed we just take the names of the ancestors they get satiated.

Jaigeeshvayeshwar ling: Jaigeeshva muni had darshan of lord Shiva after which lord went to Mandrachal mountain. Muni sat again in tapasya to have his darshan again on his return and established a linga. He made a samkalp that he will not drink even a drop of water till lord gives him darshan again. Thus he sat inside a cave. After a long time when lord returned from there, Nandi was sent to accost Jaigeeshv muni and touch him with a lotus given by Lord Shiva. On arising he should be brought for darshan. On the advise of the lord Nandi brought the muni in the presence of the lord. The muni was extremely happy to have darshan of the lord Siva and was given a boon that he would be a yogacharya in the assembly of yogis and he would know the secrets of this knowledge and later get moksha.

From that day onwards this linga became famous and doing its seven for three years gives yog to the practitioner. Doing yogabhyas for six months here one gets sidhi. This lingam removes great many sins, increases all the punyas, removes the great fear and increases Bhakti.

Shaileshwar linga: On the banks of Varuna river, a shiv made of chandrakant mani is located and its called shaileshwar lingam. After taking bath here, one should perform tarpan of the pitras, offer daan to Brahmins , thus doing one never comes back in to this world. Later he achieves moksha.

Kriteshwar linga in Hamsa tirth: Gajasur, brother of Mahishasur appeared in the form of an elephant in front of lord Shiva. He killed him with a trident and lifted him up like an umbrella. He wrapped its skin on his own body. From where he lifted his trident a pond was created. One who takes bath in this kund, performs tarpan, poojan of pitras here is blessed. Various muni established 10200 shivlings here. Out of there Katyayaneshwar is the first and Chyavaneshwar is the last.

Kedareshwar: By taking bath in the kund, performing sandhya, tarpan and then having darshan of this lingam one gets many sidhis. Whatever fruit that is received by darshan of kedar, seven times more fruit is received by darshan of Kedareshwar of Kashi. It removes sins of seven lives’s.

Chitrangadeshwar linga: it lies in the north of Kedareshwar. By its daily poojan one gets pleasures of heavens here.

Neelkanth: In the south of kedareshwar is this lingam. By mere darshan of this lingam one does not get agitated by the poison through the bite of snake in the form of kaliyug.

Ambrisheshwar linga: In the N-W of Kedareshwar is this lingam. By its darshan one gets free of the pains of staying in the mother’s womb. Just nearby it is Indradumaneshwar linga. By its poojan one ascends a plane and goes to heavens. In the south of Ambrisheshwar is Kalanjeshwar linga. By its darshan one gets victory over time and old age. Resides for a long time in the realm of Shiva.

Dharameshwar: Her Girija is present in the name of Vishbhuja and Ganesha is present in the form of Asha Vinayak. Lord Yama did tapasya here and got the name of dharmaraaj, control over south direction and was made witness to the karmas of all the jeevas. On the Ashtami of Kartik month, one who observes a fast here and keeps awake whole night, will not take birth on earth again. In its south is mandap called Mohlaxami. Lord is ever present here. Here doing path of even one Richa gives the fruit of path of all Vedas. In its east is the Gyan mandap where lord gives sermon on knowledge. Their poojan procedure is explained on page no 680-81 of Skandpuraan.

Veereshwar linga:  Daan, poojan, jap, hom or any punya karma performed here is eternal. By poojan and snan here one gets fruit of all the tirthas. After performing poojan here on amavasya and keeping awake whole night, one does not come back in to five element body again. One who performs one japa of Rudri himself or gets its done through others gets a fruit equivalent to 10 million rudris any where else. Bowing down eight times in front of the lord one gets the fruit of 80 million bows. By its seva one gets TARAK gyan.

Kameshwar: Durvasa rishi did tapasya here. One who after taking bath in this kaam kund have darshan of this lingam( early morning , trayodashi with Saturday) he is set free of the dosha from kaam and is set free from the fear of Yama. All his different sins are burnt instantly and all desires are fulfilled.

Vishwakarmeshwar linga:  Tvashta prajapatis son got an order from his gurukul as follows:

From Guru: To make a hut which never withers, ever gets old and is spoiled in rains.

From Guru’s wife: to make vastra to cover the chest which is always tight and never loosens, should not be made out of cloth, should be extremely beautiful, should always remain clean.

From Guru’s son: to make a pare of shoes(khadaon), which are free from any kind of skin, by standing on which ones feet are not covered with mud, which are very comfortable during running, which works on both water and earth.

From Guru’s daughter: Two golden lotuses, some toys made out of  an elephant tusk to play with.

Finding himself unable to create all that, he sat in dhyan of Vishwanathji. Who appeared and gave him the name of Vishwakarma and was granted all the skills. On who does the poojan of this lingam will be given great understanding and will be granted diksha also.

Satishwar linga: Daughter of Daksha performed great tapsya here after burning her body and then this linga appeared. Just by the darshan of it one gets free of all the sins.

Mahadeveshwarlinga: Sarswat koop. One gets Saraswati .

Attreeshwar: One attains realm of lord Vishnu.

Prayaag linga: One attains Brahmlok.

Svaleeneshwar: One gets released from this body and attains mukti.

Bhadrakund: By bathing in it one gets the fruit of offering of thousands of Kapila cows.

Bhadreshwar: By its darshan alone one attains Golok.

This gives an overall view of the Varanasi tirth as one can not cover it in detail the city of lord Shiva………………May add a few inspiring things further, later in this article, so keep a watch…………………..Om!

                                       

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