As death draws near, one who journeys to Avimukteśvara in Vārāṇasī finds purification. No matter how a person leaves their body—especially at the sacred site of Śrīparvata—they attain liberation, O best of Brāhmaṇas. There should be no doubt: such a soul finds union with Śiva. Avimukta is the supreme field, eternally bestowing liberation upon beings. Therefore, the wise should always honor and serve this place, especially as the end of life approaches. Hearing of Vārāṇasī’s holiness, the sages address Sūta: “If Vārāṇasī is so sacred, please tell us of its power. We are eager to hear, in detail and according to tradition, the splendid greatness of Avimukta.” Sūta replies, “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, O best of Brāhmins, neither I nor the great-souled Brahmā could fully describe it in detail.” Long ago, when Śaṅkara, whose form shone with blue and red hues, was newly wed, he descended from Himavat’s snowy peaks with the goddess Haimavatī and the lords of the hosts. Upon arriving at Vārāṇasī, Śaṅkara revealed the liṅga of Avimukteśvara and established his dwelling there. In places such as Vārāṇasī, Kurukṣetra, Śrīparvata, Mahālaya, Tuṅgeśvara, and Kedāra, wherever an ascetic may reside, if he practices the Pāśupata yoga rightly for even a single day, he should then renounce everything and undertake the Pāśupata vow. There, in the divine garden—Śarva’s unsurpassed garden, conceived by Rudra in his mind along with a splendid palace—the ascetic should dwell. At that time, the supreme Lord himself, accompanied by Nandī and Haimavatī, revealed this unsurpassed divine garden. For the delight of Pārvatī, Lord Bhava, Śaṅkara, spoke of the greatness of Avimukta. The garden was adorned with blooming bushes of many kinds, enchanting with trailing vines, and lovely flowers everywhere—priyaṅgu in full bloom and thorny ketaka. Fragrant tamāla thickets and clusters of blossomed vakula filled the air, along with hundreds of flowering aśoka and punnāga trees, their blossoms swarming with bees. Birds dusted with pollen from blooming lotuses sang melodiously, while the air resounded with the calls of cranes, ruddy geese, and intoxicated dātyūha birds. In other places, auspicious peacocks cried, waterfowl called, and swarms of intoxicated bees buzzed, mingling with the songs of female bees. Elsewhere, fragrant flowers and blossoming mango trees were hidden by vines and tilaka trees, and the songs of Vidyādharas, Siddhas, and Cāraṇas filled the air. Groups of Apsarases danced, accompanied by joyful birds; the calls of dancing parrots resounded, and the place was filled with the roars of lions and the cries of excited waterfowl. In some places, herds of gandhaka and kadamba deer grazed, scattering sprouts and clusters of flowers; elsewhere, ponds and lakes shone with blooming lotuses of many kinds. The garden was thick with clusters of trees, charming with blue-throated peacocks, joyful bird cries, the sounds of nature, intoxicated bees swarming on blossoming branches, adorned with fresh shoots, and tall with lofty boughs. Playful, graceful maidens of the Kimpurusha race frequented some spots. Lovely peaks echoed with the cooing of doves, their white forms like shining clouds, resplendent with flocks of swans dividing heaps of flowers, and crowded with celestial beings. Thousands of blooming lotuses and water-lilies beautified the divine pathways with pools, and various thickets and groves lined the paths with brilliantly colored flowers. Tall branches weighed down by clusters of blue flowers made the Ashoka trees shine, their dark, swinging ends delighting the eye, illuminated at night by the moon’s light. Blossoming Tilaka trees stood nearby, where herds of deer, awakened from sleep in the shade, nibbled at tender blades of 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. In some places, deer adorned the region; elsewhere, heaps of flowers hid the ground, and delighted Kinnara maidens sang and danced sweetly with their lutes. 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. Clusters of Priyangu trees attracted bees, and mango and Kadamba blossoms were enveloped by swarms of bees. Waters stirred by breezes carried heaps of flowers, charming thickets where intoxicated bees fell, and among the bushes, herds of frightened deer scattered, driven by the wind. Enchanting Tilaka trees, dappled by the moon’s rays, stood alongside Ashoka trees colored like vermilion, saffron, and red dye, and Karnikara trees shining like gold. The place was filled with heaps of blossoms and broad branches. In some places, the ground was covered with flowers like black collyrium, in others like coral, and elsewhere like gold. Among the Punnaga trees, cries of many birds filled the air; the branches of red Ashoka trees were weighed down, and in pleasant groves, bees played among blooming lotuses. Then, the Lord of all worlds, accompanied by the daughter of the snowy peak and the beloved Ganeshas, showed the goddess a most delightful grove, vast with various trees and filled with exuberant, well-nourished animals. With forest flowers—both auspicious and most auspicious—fashioned as divine ornaments, Shiva adorned the goddess, who had entered the grove. And she, the daughter of the snowy mountain, with devotion, adorned Shankara, the god of gods, with the most excellent divine flowers. Having worshipped the most worshipful of the gods and gazed upon the exceedingly beautiful garden, the goddess, together with the Ganeshas and Nandimukha, bowed and spoke to the god: “O Lord, you have shown me the garden, radiant with supreme splendor; now, please tell me again all the virtues of this sacred place. O Lord of gods, god of gods, bearer of the bull-banner, you must fully tell me the greatness of this field, Avimukta.