Kashi is celebrated in the Puranas as the unique city where liberation is accessible to all beings. Unlike any other ksetra, Kashi is portrayed as the spiritual gateway (moksha-dvara) where death becomes a moment of divine grace. The Puranas emphasize that both Siva and Vishnu dwell here eternally—not separately, but in harmony—uplifting all souls. Kashi stands as the meeting point of Saiva and Vaishnava traditions, uniting multiple spiritual paths into one liberating destiny.
Siva whispers the Rama-nama (Taraka mantra) to the dying. Vishnu’s presence sanctifies and grants the final liberation. Thus, kashi symbolizes the unity of Saiva–Vaishnava devotion.
Skanda Purana highlights Siva’s compassionate role. Padma and Garuda Puranas highlight Vishnu’s liberating power. Dying in Kashi becomes a divinely guided passage toward moksha.
Scriptural Foundations for Siva and Vishnu in Kashi
The sacred texts describe Kashi as the chosen residence of both Siva and Vishnu. These scriptural citations show that while Siva assists the soul at the moment of death, the ultimate power of granting moksha is attributed to Vishnu. This complementarity is central to Kashi’s sanctity.
Skanda Purana – Kashi Khanda (26.10)
vishnush cha kashyam nityam tishtati bhaktavatsalah |
shivena saha samyuktah mokshadah sarvadehinam ||
Meaning:
Vishnu, ever compassionate, resides eternally in Kashi. Together with Siva, He grants moksha to all beings.
Padma Purana – Uttara Khanda 49.25
kashyam vishnupadam divyam sarvapapa-pranashanam |
yatra snanam japam danam mokshadam cha na samshayah ||
Meaning:
Kashi contains Vishnu’s sacred seat. All devotional acts performed there become avenues to moksha.
Garuda Purana – Preta Khanda 15.16
antakale tu yah smritva vishnum sarvapapanashanam |
gachchhati paramam siddhim na punarjanma vidyate ||
Meaning:
One who remembers Vishnu at the time of death attains liberation and is not reborn.
Siva and the Taraka Mantra
The Skanda Purana teaches that Siva whispers the Rama mantra—the Taraka mantra—into the ears of the dying in Kashi. This is Siva’s compassionate role as the divine guide. Importantly, the mantra He gives is Rama, a form of Vishnu, reflecting a beautiful harmony between Siva’s grace and Vishnu’s liberating power.
Skanda Purana – Kashi Khanda (Taraka Mantra Section)
shivo rama-mantram tu karneshu japatam nrinam |
mritanam mokshadata cha kashyam tishtati nityashah ||
Meaning:
Siva remains eternally in Kashi, whispering the Rama mantra into the ears of the dying, guiding them toward liberation.
Vishnu’s Presence and Vaishnava Temples in Kashi
The Purana’s describe several Vishnu temples in Kashi, each carrying deep spiritual significance. Since Vishnu is praised as the granter of moksha, visiting His temples in Kashi is considered highly meritorious. The Skanda and Padma Puranas emphasize that these shrines channel Vishnu’s grace toward devotees.
i. Adi கேசவ Temple (Near Manikarnika Ghat)
Skanda Purana – Kashi Khanda 50.12
manikarnikasa-mipe adi keshava darshanam |
sarva-yatra-phalam tasya labhyate natra samshayah ||
Meaning:
Darshan of Adi Kesava near Manikarnika grants the merit of all pilgrimages.
Significance:
One of the holiest Vaishnava temples of Kashi.
ii. Other Vaishnava Shrines
Skanda Purana also lists shrines for Madhava, Govinda, Narayana, and other forms of Vishnu.
Significance:
Each reinforces Vishnu’s role as the ultimate sanctifier and liberator.
The Dvadasa Madhavas: Vishnu’s Sacred Circuit of Liberation in Kashi
The Skanda Purana, Kashi Khanda, further establishes Vishnu’s continuous and all-pervading salvific presence in Kashi through the doctrine of the Dvadasa Madhavas (Twelve Madhavas)—a sacred Vaishnava circuit embedded within the city itself. In Chapter 61, Slokas 1–5, the Purana enumerates twelve manifestations of Vishnu beginning with Adi Madhava and Bindu Madhava, with Sethu Madhava positioned centrally, indicating an organized spiritual geography through which devotees may attain liberation. This teaching is reinforced earlier when Vishnu proclaims His eternal residence in Kashi as Adi Kessava, inseparably present where Svayambhhu Visvesvara (Siva) resounds (Kashi Khanda 58.20), and again when He declares that worship of Bindu Madhava combined with ablution in Bindu Tīrtha leads directly to nirvana (Kashi Khanda 60.123). Together, these verses present Kashi not merely as a place of death-liberation, but as a living Vaishnava ksetra, where Vishnu manifests repeatedly across the city to guide souls gradually and compassionately toward moksha, fully harmonized with Siva’s salvific role.
Skanda Purana – Kashi Khanda 58.20 (Adi Kesava)
adi-keshavam mam atra sthapayitva vasamy aham |
kashyam sannadati yatra vishveshvarah svayambhuvah ||
Meaning:
Having been installed here as Adi Kesava, I reside eternally in Kashi where the Self-manifest Visvesvara resounds.
Skanda Purana – Kashi Khanda 60.123 (Bindu Madhava)
bindu-madhava-namanam yo mam atra samarchayet |
bindu-tirtha-krita-snano nirvanam sa hi vindati ||
Meaning:
He who worships Me here as Bindu Madhava and bathes in Bindu Tīrtha attains moksha.
Skanda Purana – Kashi Khanda 61.1–5 (Dvadasa Madhavas)
adi-madhavam chaiva bindu-madhavam eva cha |
sethu-madhavam adhaya dvadasha madhavah smritah ||
Meaning:
Adi Madhava, Bindu Madhava, and with Sethu Madhava at the center—these are remembered as the Twelve Madhavas.
Kashi as the Abode of Divine Harmony and Vishnu’s Moksha-Giving Grace
In Kashi, the Puranas portray a beautiful spiritual harmony: Siva compassionately guides the departing soul, while Vishnu’s grace ultimately grants liberation. Siva’s act of whispering the Rama mantra expresses His benevolence, and the mantra itself—being Vishnu’s name—connects the soul to Vishnu’s liberating presence. The scriptures affirm that Vishnu ultimately bestows moksha.
The Puranas celebrate this unity, presenting Kashi as a ksetra where devotion to either deity ultimately leads one to the divine refuge of Vishnu, the giver of eternal liberation.
— G. Prasanna Venkatesan
