[Advaita-l] Shiva is in the form of Bindumadhava in Kashi - Skanda Purana

[V Subrahmanian]

*Shiva is in the form of Bindumadhava in Kashi - Skanda Purana*

In this chapter, Skanda narrates a conversation. In it, birds ask Shiva to
describe the greatness of Kashi, and Shiva's response to this. Here are two
verses from it:

स्कन्दपुराणम्/खण्डः ४ (काशीखण्डः)/अध्यायः ०७९
 https://sa.wikisource.org/s/fyg

देवोऽतिविस्मयापन्नोऽवर्णयत्पीठगौरवम् ।।
त्रैलोक्यनगरे चात्र काशीराजगृहं मम ।। ४४ ।।

आदिकेशवपीठेहमादिकेशवरूपधृक् ।।
श्वेतद्वीपं नये भक्तान्वैष्णवानतिवल्लभान् ।। १ ।। 101

At the *Adikeshava Pitha*, I take the form of Keshava and take my beloved
Vaishnava devotees to Shvetadvipa.

बिंदुमाधवरूपेण यत्राहं वैष्णवाञ्जनान् ।।
नये पंचनदस्नातांस्तद्विष्णोः परमं पदम् ।। ३ ।।

In the form of *Bindumadhava*, I take Vaishnava people who have bathed in
the Panchanadi to the supreme abode called Vishnu.

This chapter contains many Vedantic principles. For example:

ब्रह्मयज्ञसकृत्कृत्वा मम दक्षिणमंडपे ।।

ब्रह्मलोकमवाप्याथ परं ब्रह्माधिगच्छति ।। 4.2.79.६० ।।

In this sacred place, if they perform the Brahmayajna even once in my
southern mandapa, they will attain Brahmaloka and subsequently attain
Parabrahman. This principle is called Krama Mukti in Advaita. It means
attaining Brahmaloka through meritorious deeds, gaining knowledge of
Parabrahman there, and then attaining liberation.

Om Tat Sat