Among all the practices prescribed for seekers, both householders and yogins, there is one measure called ‘pluta’ that stands out. This alone is recommended for their discipline. Especially within the eightfold yogic powers, beginning with aṇimā, this measure is to be understood and practiced, O twice-born. Thus, one who is united with yoga—pure, self-controlled, a master of the senses, and one who truly knows the self—attains all that is to be attained. Therefore, the wise should contemplate the self through the Pāśupata yogas. Those pure souls who realize the self—of them, there is no doubt about their attainment. A Brāhmaṇa devoted to self-contemplation gains the essence of the Ṛg, Yajur, and Sāma Vedas, the Upaniṣads, and the profound knowledge that arises from yoga. Such a person becomes one with all the gods and is freed from rebirth; abandoning the cycle of birth through the womb, he attains the eternal state. Just as a ripe fruit falls from a tree when stirred by the wind, so too does sin fall away from one who offers salutations to Rudra. Where Rudra is saluted, the fruit of all actions is assured; by saluting other gods, that highest fruit is not obtained. Therefore, the yogin should worship the great Lord three times daily, honoring Brahman of tenfold extent and all its manifestations. Thus, one endowed with meditation, who abandons his body, attains union with Śiva, uplifting three generations of his family. Or, if death approaches, simply going to Avimukteśvara in Vārāṇasī brings purification. In whatever manner a man gives up his body—if it be at Śrīparvata, too—he is liberated, O best of Brāhmaṇas. There should be no doubt: he attains union with Śiva. Avimukta is the supreme field, always granting liberation to beings. The wise should ever serve this holy place, especially when death draws near. Hearing this, the sages addressed Sūta: “O wise Sūta, if Vārāṇasī is so supremely holy, tell us now of its power. We long to hear, in detail and according to tradition, the splendid greatness of this sacred field, Avimukta.” Sūta replied, “I shall recount, in brief, the glorious greatness of Avimukta at Vārāṇasī, as spoken by the blessed Lord Bhava. Even in hundreds of millions of years, neither I nor the great-souled Brahmā could describe it fully in detail. Long ago, when Śaṅkara—whose form glows with blue and red hues—was newly wed, he descended from Himavat’s peak with the goddess Haimavatī and the lords of the divine hosts. Arriving at Vārāṇasī, Śaṅkara revealed the liṅga of Avimukteśvara and made his dwelling there. In Vārāṇasī, Kurukṣetra, Śrīparvata, Mahālaya, Tuṅgeśvara, and Kedāra—wherever an ascetic may reside—if he practices the Pāśupata yoga rightly for even a single day, then, renouncing all, he should undertake the Pāśupata vow. There, in the divine garden—Śarva’s unsurpassed garden, conceived by Rudra in his mind along with a splendid palace—he should dwell. At that time, the supreme Lord himself, accompanied by Nandī and Haimavatī, revealed that unsurpassed divine garden. For the delight of Pārvatī, the supreme Lord Bhava, Śaṅkara, spoke of the greatness of this field, Avimukta. The garden was adorned with blooming bushes of every kind, enchanting with trailing vines, and surrounded by lovely flowers—priyaṅgu in full bloom and thorny ketaka. Everywhere, fragrant tamāla thickets and clusters of blossoming vakula filled the air, alongside hundreds of flowering aśoka and punnāga trees, their blossoms swarming with bees. In some places, birds dusted with pollen from blooming lotuses sang melodiously, and the air resounded with the calls of cranes, ruddy geese, and intoxicated dātyūha birds. Elsewhere, the auspicious cries of peacocks rang out, mingled with the calls of waterfowl and the buzzing of intoxicated bees, accompanied by the songs of female bees. Some places were filled with beautiful, fragrant flowers and blossoming mango trees, hidden by vines and tilaka trees, and alive with the celestial songs of Vidyādharas, Siddhas, and Cāraṇas. There, groups of Apsarases danced, accompanied by joyful birds of many kinds; the calls of dancing parrots resounded, and the place echoed with the roars of lions and the cries of excited waterfowl. In other spots, herds of gandhaka and kadamba deer grazed, scattering sprouts and clusters of flowers, while ponds and lakes shone with blooming lotuses of every variety. The garden was thick with clusters of trees, charming with blue-throated peacocks, gladdened by the joyful cries of birds, and filled with the sounds of nature—intoxicated bees swarming on blossoming branches, fresh shoots adorning the earth, and lofty boughs rising high. Some places were frequented by playful, graceful women—the maidens of the Kimpurusha race. The lovely peaks echoed with the cooing of doves, their white, enchanting forms shining like clouds, resplendent with flocks of swans dividing heaps of flowers, and crowded with many celestial beings of the gods. Thousands of blooming lotuses and water-lilies adorned the waters, beautifying the divine pathways with pools, and the paths were lined with rows of brilliantly colored flowers, with thickets and groves everywhere. Ashoka trees with tall branches weighed down by clusters of blue flowers shone, their swinging dark ends bringing delight, their lovely forms illuminated by the moon’s light at night, mingled with blossoming Tilaka trees, where herds of deer, awakened from the shade, nibbled at tender grass. The waters, clear and wide, were stirred by the wind of swans’ wings. On the banks, young plantains danced as peacocks performed, their moon-like tails coloring the earth, while flocks of joyous, playful parrots vanished into the landscape. Some regions were adorned by deer, elsewhere hidden by heaps of flowers, and in yet others, delighted Kinnara maidens sang and danced sweetly with their lutes. In some spots, the dwellings of sages were surrounded by trees, their roots heaped with fruit, and everywhere the ground was covered with scattered, mingled flowers, with tall jackfruit and mahua trees rising high. Thus was the divine garden of Avimukta revealed—a vision of beauty, sanctity, and celestial delight, cherished by Śiva and the gods, and the supreme field of liberation for all beings.