Chapter 69 of the Kāśī Khaṇḍa (Uttarārdha) gives the report that Nandī made to Bhagavān Śiva when he came back to Kāśī. Sixty-eight splendid mansions full of jewels had appeared in the holy city. Each held a Liṅga or a Śakti that Nandī had brought himself from the most honoured holy places of the three worlds. These include Kurukshetra, Naimisha, Gokarṇa, Prabhāsa, Ujjayinī, Pushkara, Śrīśaila, Rāmeśvara, Kedāra, Kāśmīra and Nepāla.

The chapter teaches that the same divine presence that lives in each great tīrtha of the world is fully present in Kāśī. It is not a smaller share. The puṇya (merit) there is crores of times that of the first place. To visit any of these sixty-eight shrines in Kāśī gives the fruit of visiting the first tīrtha, and much more besides.

Nandī’s report

Kṛttivāsas had set himself at Rudravāsa with Umā. Nandī then came and said: “O master of the universe, sixty-eight very lovely and charming mansions full of jewels have sprung up here. All the splendid holy shrines that can give moksha (liberation) in the three worlds, Bhūḥ, Bhuvaḥ and Svaḥ, I have brought here from all sides.” Nandī then named each of the sixty-eight. He told where each one came from, where it stands in Kāśī, and the special puṇya of visiting it. (Chapter 69)

The shrines

These are the shrines of Nandī’s list that the Purāṇa names:

From Kurukshetra, the Sthāṇu Liṅga. Only a sixteenth part is left at Kurukshetra. The full presence is here, to the west of Lolārka, in the place called Kurukshetra Sthala, with the Sannihatī lake. Every rite done here gives crores of crores of times the puṇya of Kurukshetra.
From Naimisha, the Devadeva Liṅga. It stands to the north of Ḍhuṇḍhirāja, with the Brahmāvarta well next to it. Its puṇya is crores of crores of times that of Naimishāraṇya.
From Gokarṇa, the Mahābala Liṅga. It stands near Sāmbāditya. At the sight of it every great pāpa (sin) falls away like cotton blown by the wind. A visit to it in front of Kapālamocana gives the city of moksha.
From Prabhāsa, the Śaśibhūshaṇa Liṅga. It stands to the east of Ṛṇamocana. One who takes refuge in it reaches the state of Bhagavān Śiva, who is adorned with the Moon.
From Ujjayinī, Mahākāla himself has come. By merely remembering his name, the fear of Kali and of Kāla ends. He stands to the east of the great Praṇava Liṅga and gives great moksha.
From Pushkara, the Āyogandheśvara Liṅga. It stands to the north of Matsyodarī, with its Āyogandha-kuṇḍa. One who pours water offerings here frees his pitṛs (ancestors) from worldly life.
From Aṭṭahāsa, the Mahānādeśvara Liṅga. It stands to the north of Trilocana and gives moksha.
From Marutkoṭa, the Mahotkateśvara Liṅga. It stands to the north of Kāmeśvara and gives pure spiritual powers.
From Viśvasthāna, the Vimaleśvara Liṅga. It stands to the west of Svārliṅga and gives pure spiritual powers.
From the Mahendra mountain, the Mahāvrata Liṅga. It stands near Skandeśvara and gives the puṇya of great vows.
Mahādeva. This is the first Liṅga, which broke through the earth in the Kṛta Yuga before groups of celestial ṛshis, who named it “Mahādeva”. The Kāśī Khaṇḍa says: “All the Liṅgas of the three worlds have been seen by the person who has seen Mahādeva in Vārāṇasī.” One worship of Mahādeva in Vārāṇasī gives a home in the world of Bhagavān Śiva until all living beings are dissolved.
From Gayā, the Pitāmaheśvara Liṅga. It came here with eight and a half crore tīrthas, including Phalgu. Worship here frees twenty-one generations of the family.
From Prayāga, the Maheśvara Śūlaṭaṅka Liṅga. It came with the Tīrtharāja itself and stands to the south of the Nirvāṇamaṇḍapa. Its mansion shines like gold. A bath at the Prayāga that stands here, and a visit to Śūlaṭaṅka, give crores of times more puṇya than a bath at the first Prayāga.
From Śaṅkukarṇa, the Mahātejā Liṅga. It stands to the east of Vināyakeśvara. Its mansion fills the sky with sparkling light.
From Rudrakoṭi, the Mahāyogīśvara Liṅga. It stands near Pārvatīśvara and gives all wonderful powers. Its ground is called Rudrasthalī, where even worms, insects and animals that die become Rudras.
From Ekambara (Bhuvaneśvara), Kṛttivāsas himself. He stays always in the Kṛttivāsas Liṅga and gives knowledge of Brahman to his devotees.
From Marwar, the Caṇḍīśvara Liṅga. It stands near Gaṇādhyaksha and splits heaps of pāpa at a glance.
From the Kalañjara mountain, the Nīlakaṇṭheśvara Liṅga. Devotees who worship it become blue-throated Śivas, adorned with the Moon.
From Kāśmīra, the Vijaya Liṅga. It stands to the east of Śālakaṭaṅkaṭa and always gives success in battle, in gambling and in debate.
From the city of Tridaṇḍa, the Ūrdhvaretas Liṅga. It stands before Kushmāṇḍaka and gives high rank. Its devotees do not fall.
From Maṇḍaleśvara, the Śrīkaṇṭha Liṅga. It stands to the north of Vināyaka Maṇḍa. Its devotees are themselves Śrīkaṇṭhas, with glory and fortune.
From Cagalaṇḍa, the Kapardīśvara Liṅga. It appeared in the Piśācamocana Tīrtha. One who worships it never falls into naraka (hell) or becomes a vampire.
From Śrīśaila, the Tripurāntaka Liṅga. It stands to the west of Viśveśa. Worship of it keeps one from entering any womb.
From Saumyasthāna, the Kukkuṭeśvara Liṅga. It stands near Vakratuṇḍa Gaṇeśa and gives all wonderful powers.
From Rāmeśvara, the Jaṭī Liṅga. It stands to the north of Ekadanta and gives all that one wishes.
From Trisandhyā, the Tryambaka Liṅga. It stands to the east of Trimukha and gives the state of Tryambaka.
From Hariścandra, the Hareśvara Liṅga, and the Śaṅkara Liṅga from another Hariścandra shrine. Both give victory and stop rebirth.
From Madhyamakeśvara, the Śarva Liṅga. It stands before Caturvedeśvara and gives the highest attainment. No one who worships it falls to a lower kind of life.
From Nepāla, the Paśupati Liṅga. Here Bhagavān Śiva taught the Pāśupata Yoga. At the mere sight of it, all the bonds of the paśu (the bound creature) are dissolved.
From Kāravīraka, the Kapālīśa Liṅga. It stands at the Kapālamocana tīrtha. A visit to it removes the pāpa of killing a brāhmaṇa.
From the city of Devikā, the Umāpati Liṅga. It stands to the east of Paśupati.
From Maheśvarākshetra (Kailāsa), the Dīpteśvara Liṅga. It stands near Umāpati and gives enjoyment here and moksha hereafter.
From Kāyarohaṇa, the Nakulīśvara (Lakulīśvara) Liṅga. The Ācārya Nakulī placed it there with his Pāśupata disciples. It stands to the south of Mahādeva. It gives knowledge and destroys the ajñāna (ignorance) that causes worldly life.
From Gaṅgāsāgara, the Amareśvara Liṅga. It gives deathlessness.

(Chapter 69)

What the chapter teaches

The Kāśī Khaṇḍa teaches that every great tīrtha in the universe is fully present in Kāśī, with far greater power. The first shrines in Kurukshetra, Naimisha, Prabhāsa and other places keep only a part of the divine presence. The rest has moved to the matching shrine in Kāśī. A visit to any of the sixty-eight shrines in Kāśī gives the puṇya of the matching first tīrtha, multiplied by crores. (Chapter 69)

Sources

Skanda Mahā Purāṇa, Kāśī Khaṇḍa, Chapter 69.

Sixty-Eight Holy Spots of Kāśī

Nandī’s report

The shrines

What the chapter teaches

Sources