The grove was wondrous to behold, its clusters of Priyangu trees alive with bees clinging to their branches, while mango and Kadamba blossoms overflowed with swarms of bees. Gentle breezes stirred the shining waters, carrying heaps of flowers and spreading their fragrance throughout charming thickets, where intoxicated bees tumbled among the blooms. In the shelter of the bushes, herds of deer, startled by the wind, scattered in all directions. Everywhere the land was adorned with enchanting Tilaka trees, their leaves bathed in the moon’s gentle rays. Ashoka trees blazed with hues of vermilion, saffron, and red dye, while Karnikara trees shone like gold, their broad branches heavy with heaps of blossoms. The ground itself was a tapestry of colors: in some places, it was black as collyrium from fallen petals; in others, it glowed coral-red or shone like gold. Among the Punnaga trees, the air rang with the calls of myriad birds. The red Ashoka branches bowed low under the weight of their flowers, and within the delightful groves, bees played joyously among blooming lotuses. Into this exquisite scene came the Lord of all worlds, Shiva, accompanied by the daughter of the snowy mountain, Parvati, and the beloved Ganeshas. He revealed to the goddess a most delightful grove, vast and filled with every kind of tree, where exuberant and well-nourished animals roamed freely. With forest flowers both auspicious and supremely sacred, Shiva fashioned divine ornaments and adorned Parvati as she entered the grove. In loving devotion, the daughter of the snowy mountain adorned Shankara, the god of gods, with the finest divine flowers. Having worshipped the most worshipful of gods and gazed upon the garden’s extraordinary beauty, the goddess, together with the Ganeshas and Nandimukha, bowed respectfully and spoke to Shiva: “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 reveal to me the greatness of this field, Avimukta.” Hearing her words, Shiva, the bestower of boons, inhaled the fragrance of her lotus-like face and smiled gently at Girijā. He spoke: “This most secret field, Vārāṇasī, is ever mine; it is always the cause of liberation for all beings. Here, O goddess, perfected souls—ever established in my vow, bearing various emblems, always longing for my world—reside. They practice the highest yoga here, their minds united, their senses conquered, in a place filled with countless trees and adorned with many birds. This auspicious place shines, adorned with lakes full of lotuses and water-lilies, ever served by hosts of apsarases and gandharvas. I always delight to dwell here. Hear the reason: my mind is set upon this place, and my devotee, ever offering his actions to me, abides here. Nowhere else, O goddess, does one attain liberation as one does here. Indeed, even one who dies here 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. This is my field, known as Avimukta—not in Naimisha, Kurukshetra, Gangadvara, or Pushkara does one find its equal. For by bathing or serving in those places, liberation is not attained as it is here; by what is attained here, this place surpasses them all. Liberation may be obtained at Prayāga or here by my acceptance; yet, even above Prayāga, foremost of sacred fords, this auspicious Avimukta excels. Truth is the Upaniṣad of dharma; tranquility is the Upaniṣad of liberation; but even the wisest do not know the Upaniṣad of this sacred field and ford. Whether enjoying, sleeping, playing, or performing various actions, if a being gives up life at Avimukta, he is destined for liberation. Even after committing thousands of sins, it is better for a man to become a ghost than to attain the lordship of a thousand Indras in heaven without the city of Kāśī. Therefore, Avimukta must indeed be served for liberation. Here, the great ascetic Jaigīṣavya attained supreme accomplishment. Because of the greatness of this field and devotion to me, the cave of Jaigīṣavya is considered the best among yogins, the most desired place. There, constantly meditating on me, the fire of yoga blazes intensely; one attains the highest liberation, rare even for the gods. Here, sages who know all doctrines attain liberation through subtle signs of the linga; elsewhere, it is rarely achieved. To them, I shall declare the supreme power of yoga, union with the Self, and the very place that is most desired. Here, in my domain, Kubera, having dedicated all his actions to me, attained lordship over the hosts simply by serving this place. And Samvarta, who is yet to come, is also my devotee; by worshipping me here, O goddess, he too will attain unsurpassed accomplishment. The yogi Vyasa, son of Parashara and a great ascetic, will also be my devotee and the promoter of the established Vedas. He too, O lotus-eyed one, will delight in this sacred place, that foremost of sages, along with Brahma, the divine seers, Vishnu, and even the Sun. The king of the gods, Shakra, and all other dwellers of heaven—these great souls, O virtuous one—all worship me here. Other divine yogis, of concealed forms and great souls, always worship me here, having become single-minded. Even a man whose mind is attached to sense objects, who has abandoned delight in righteousness—if he dies in this place, he is not reborn in the cycle of existence. But those who are steadfast, free from possessiveness, established in purity, self-controlled, devoted to vows, and without undertakings—all of them are absorbed in me. Having approached the God of gods, those wise ones, free from attachment, attain here the highest liberation by my grace, O virtuous one. That supreme liberation, which a yogi does not attain even in thousands of lifetimes, is attained here by my grace, O virtuous one.