कालो भूत्वा जगदिदं संहराम्यत्र सुन्दरि
Becoming Time, O beautiful one, I withdraw this world here.
मद्भक्तास्तत्र गच्छन्ति मामेव प्रविशन्ति ते
My devotees go there; they enter into me alone.
ध्यानमध्ययनं ज्ञानं सर्वं तत्राक्षयं भवेत्
Meditation, study, and knowledge—all these become imperishable there.
अविमुक्तं प्रविष्टस्य तत्सर्वं व्रजति क्षयम्
For one who has entered Avimukta, all that is destroyed.
स्त्रियो म्लेच्छाश्च ये चान्ये संकीर्णाः पापयोनयः
Women, foreigners, and others of mixed or sinful birth,
कालेन निधनं प्राप्ता अविमुक्ते वरानने
Who have met their end in Avimukta, O beautiful-faced one,
शिवे मम पुरे देवि जायन्ते तत्र मानवाः
Are born as humans there, in my city, O goddess, which is Shiva’s.
ईश्वरानुगृहीता हि सर्वे यान्ति परां गतिम्
All, being favored by the Lord, attain the supreme state.
अश्मना चरणौ हत्वा वाराणस्यां वसेन्नरः
Even one who, having struck his feet with a stone, dwells in Varanasi,
यत्र तत्र विपन्नस्य गतिः संसारमोक्षणी
Wherever he meets his end, his course is liberation from worldly existence.
अप्रबुद्धा न पश्यन्ति मम मायाविमोहिताः
Those who are not awakened, deluded by my māyā, do not see.
विण्मूत्ररेतसां मध्ये ते वसन्ति पुनः पुनः
Among excrement, urine, and semen, they dwell again and again.
स याति परमं स्थानं यत्र गत्वा न शोचति
He attains the supreme state, having reached which one does not grieve.
यां प्राप्य कृतकृत्यः स्यादिति मन्यन्ति पण्डताः
Having attained that, one is accomplished—so the wise believe.
प्राप्यते गतिरुत्कृष्टा याविमुक्ते तु लभ्यते
That highest state is attained, but only in Avimukta is it found.
भेषजं परमं तेषामविमुक्तं विदुर्बुधाः
The wise know Avimukta as their supreme remedy.
अविमुक्तं परं तत्त्वमविमुक्तं परं शिवम्
Avimukta is the highest truth; Avimukta is the supreme auspiciousness.
तेषां तत्परमं ज्ञानं ददाम्यन्ते परं पदम्
To them I grant that supreme knowledge, and at the end, the highest state.
केदारं भद्रकर्णं च गया पुष्करमेव च
Kedāra, Bhadrakarṇa, Gayā, and also Puṣkara—
प्रभासं विजयेशानं गोकर्णं भद्रकर्णकम्
Prabhāsa, Vijayeśāna, Gokarṇa, and Bhadrakarṇaka—
न यास्यन्ति परं मोक्षं वाराणस्यां यथा मृताः
They will not attain the highest liberation as do those who die in Vārāṇasī.
प्रविष्टा नाशयेत् पापं जन्मान्तरशतैः कृतम्
Entering there destroys the sins accumulated over hundreds of lifetimes.
व्रतानि सर्वमेवैतद् वाराणस्यां सुदुर्लभम्
All these vows are indeed extremely rare in Vārāṇasī.
वायुभक्षश्च सततं वाराणस्यां स्तितो नरः
A man who always subsists on air and remains in Vārāṇasī—
वाराणसीं समासाद्य पुनाति सकलं नरः
Having reached Vārāṇasī, a man purifies all.
सर्वपापविनिर्मुक्तास्ते विज्ञेया गणेश्वराः
Freed from all sins, they are to be known as lords among hosts.
प्राप्यते तत् परं स्थानं सहस्त्रेणैव जन्मना
That supreme state is attained even after a thousand births.
ते विन्दन्ति परं मोक्षमेकेनैव तु जन्मना
But they attain the highest liberation in just one birth.
अविमुक्तं समासाद्य नान्यद् गच्छेत् तपोवनम्
Having reached Avimukta, one should not go to any other hermitage.
तदेव गुह्यं गुह्यानामेतद् विज्ञाय मुच्यते
This alone is the most secret of secrets; knowing this, one is liberated.