In the sacred lands of Vārāṇasī, Kurukṣetra, Śrīparvata, Mahālaya, Tuṅgeśvara, and Kedāra—wherever an ascetic may take up residence—the path of the Pāśupata vow is open. If an ascetic practices the profound discipline of Pāśupata yoga, even for a single day and in the proper way, he should renounce all else and fully undertake the Pāśupata vow. There, in that holy place, the ascetic is to dwell in the divine garden, the matchless garden of Śarva, which Rudra once conceived in his heart, complete with a splendid palace. At that time, the Supreme Lord himself, accompanied by his faithful Nandī and the goddess Haimavatī, revealed this wondrous, unsurpassed garden to the world. For the delight of Pārvatī, the Supreme Lord Bhava, Śaṅkara himself, began to speak of the greatness of this sacred field, known as Avimukta. The garden was adorned with blooming shrubs of every kind, enchanting creepers, and all around, lovely flowers—priyaṅgu in full bloom and the thorny ketaka—filled the air with fragrance. Everywhere, fragrant thickets of tamāla and clusters of fully blossomed vakula trees stood, alongside hundreds of flowering aśoka and punnāga trees, their blossoms alive with bees. In some places, birds dusted with pollen from blooming lotuses sang melodiously, while the air resounded with the calls of cranes, ruddy geese, and the intoxicated dātyūha birds. Elsewhere, the auspicious cries of peacocks echoed, or the calls of waterfowl filled the air, mingling with the hum of intoxicated bees and the songs of female bees. In other spots, beautiful, fragrant flowers and blossoming mango trees were hidden among vines and tilaka trees, as the songs of Vidyādharas, Siddhas, and Cāraṇas floated through the air. Groups of Apsarases danced joyfully, accompanied by vibrant birds of many kinds. The calls of dancing parrots resounded, and the place was alive 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, while ponds and lakes shone with blooming lotuses of many colors. The garden was thick with clusters of trees, charming with blue-throated peacocks, gladdened by the joyful cries of birds, and delightful with the sounds that arose from all directions. It was filled with intoxicated bees swarming on blossoming branches, adorned with fresh shoots, and shaded by tall, lofty boughs. In some places, playful, graceful women—the maidens of the Kimpurusha race—wandered. The lovely peaks echoed with the cooing of doves, their white, enchanting forms shining like clouds, flocks of swans dividing heaps of flowers, and the place was crowded with many celestial beings of the gods. Thousands of blooming lotuses and water-lilies adorned the region, beautifying the divine pathways with pools, and the area was filled with various thickets and groves, lined with rows of brilliantly colored flowers. Tall branches weighed down by clusters of blue flowers made the lofty Ashoka trees shine; their dark, swinging ends brought delight, their lovely forms illuminated at night by the moon’s light, mingled with blossoming Tilaka trees, where herds of deer, awakened from sleep in the shade, nibbled at the tender grass. The clear, wide waters were stirred by the wind of swans’ wings, and on the banks, young plantains danced as peacocks performed, their moon-like tails coloring the earth. In other places, flocks of joyous, playful parrots vanished into the lush landscape. Some regions were adorned by deer, others hidden by heaps of flowers, while 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. The garden was beautiful with clusters of Priyangu trees where bees clung, and the blossoms of mango and Kadamba trees were enveloped by swarms of bees. Breezes carried heaps of flowers across lovely waters, and charming thickets where intoxicated bees fell; among the bushes, herds of frightened deer scattered, driven by the wind. Enchanting Tilaka trees, dappled by the moon’s rays, stood beside Ashoka trees the color of vermilion, saffron, and red dye, and Karnikara trees shone like gold; the place was filled with heaps of blossoms and broad branches. In some places, the ground was covered with flowers resembling black collyrium, in others like coral, and elsewhere like gold. Among the Punnaga trees, the air was filled with the cries of many birds; the branches of red Ashoka trees were weighed down, and in the pleasant groves, bees played among blooming lotuses. Then, the Lord of all worlds, accompanied by the daughter of the snowy mountain 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 as she entered the grove. In turn, the daughter of the snowy mountain, with devotion, adorned Śaṅkara, the god of gods, with the most excellent divine flowers. Having worshipped the most worshipful of gods and gazed upon the exceedingly beautiful garden, the goddess, together with the Ganeshas and Nandimukha, bowed and spoke to the Lord: “O Lord, you have shown me this garden, radiant with supreme splendor; now, please tell me again all the virtues of this sacred place. O Lord of gods, bearer of the bull-banner, you must fully tell me the greatness of this field, Avimukta.” Hearing these words, the god of gods, bestower of boons, inhaled the fragrance of her lotus-like face and, smiling, spoke to Girijā: “This most secret field, Vārāṇasī, is always mine; it is ever the cause of liberation for all beings. “Here, O goddess, perfected beings, ever established in my vow, bearing various emblems and ever desiring my world, abide. They practice the highest yoga here, their minds united, their senses conquered, in a place filled with many trees and adorned with various birds. “Adorned with lakes rich in lotuses and water-lilies, ever served by hosts of apsarases and gandharvas, this auspicious place shines. I always delight to dwell here; hear the reason for this: my mind is set here, and my devotee, ever offering his actions to me, abides here. “Nowhere else, O goddess, does one attain liberation as here; indeed, one who dies here, even by desire, is destined for liberation. This is my divine city, most secret among secrets, great indeed; Brahmā and others know it, as do the perfected ones and those seeking liberation. “Therefore, this field is supreme, and this is my highest goal; it is called Avimukta, for I never abandon it, nor do I ever release it. Therefore, this is my field, known as Avimukta—not in Naimisha, Kurukshetra, Gangadvara, or Pushkara—does such liberation abide as it does here.