O Pārvatī, listen as the Lord of the gods reveals the mysteries of his sacred field. Merely by beholding this Lord, one’s deepest wishes are fulfilled, for the very planets, led by Śukra, have established this truth. See, O gentle one, these auspicious liṅgas: they are the very sources of merit and wish-fulfillment. In this way, these holy places are my abodes upon the earth. I have described to you the sacred places within my field. Now hear a further secret: this field extends four krośas in every direction, and its full measure is a yojana. At the moment of death, this field bestows immortality itself. I am ever-present upon the great mountain and in Kedāra. Whoever beholds this place attains the state of a Gaṇa; here alone is liberation truly found. From this field, one attains the supreme Gāṇapatya state—the highest liberation. Among all the sacred fields—Mahālaya, Kedāra, and Madhyama—the most sanctified is remembered as Avimukta. Kedāra, the central field, and Mahālaya are my holy abodes upon earth, but Avimukta surpasses them all. From here, the worlds themselves were created, making this field supremely auspicious. I have never abandoned it; thus, it is known as Avimukta—the never-forsaken. By seeing my liṅga called Avimukteśvara here, a person is immediately freed from all sin and released from the bonds of saṃsāra. There are other sacred liṅgas as well: Śaileśa, Saṃgameśa, Svarlīna, Madhyameśvara, Hiraṇyagarbha, Īśāna, Goprekṣa, Vṛṣabhadhvaja, Upaśānta, Śiva, the ancient resident, Śukreśvara, Vyāghreśa, and Jambukeśvara. Whoever beholds these is never again born into the ocean of worldly suffering. Having spoken thus, Mahādeva gazed in all directions. As Pārvatī beheld the great Lord, Maheshvara, established there, the entire place suddenly shone forth, radiant as if illumined by a divine light. Then appeared the accomplished followers of Paśupati, their bodies gleaming white with sacred ash—great-souled devotees of Maheshvara, steadfast in their vows. Hundreds of these devotees approached, bowing to Maheshvara, and gazed again upon the Lord of Yoga, who was wholly absorbed in deep meditation. They stood, established in their own inner selves, as if merging into Īśvara himself. In that sacred moment, the Lord of gods, the husband of Umā, was present among them. Bearing his supreme form, he manifested as the Lord, standing alone yet encompassing the entire world within himself. When the Lord assumed this transcendent form, the daughter of the mountain, Pārvatī, her hair bristling with awe, could not bear to look upon him again. Realizing that this form was beyond her sight, the supreme goddess, abiding in her own nature, through the power of yoga, assumed the form of Prakṛti. In this way, she was able to see again both the great-souled Hara and the yogis, who, having established dissolution within themselves, beheld the Purusha. All these yogis, their seeds of worldly existence burned away, entered into the heart of the Lord, beautifully remembering the five-syllabled seed-mantra. The divine form that destroys all sins, which had been revealed before, once more assumed an auspicious body, abiding in the blue-red form. Seeing him thus, the daughter of the mountain was filled with joy; her whole body thrilled as she praised him, bowed at his feet, and asked, “O Lord, who are these beings?” Then the best of gods replied to the goddess: “O beautiful one, these devoted and excellent twice-born souls, by following my vow and through the yogas they have practiced here, in a single birth, by the power of this sacred place and their devotion to me, have attained my favor. Thus, by my own form, I grant them grace. This great sacred place is revered by Brahmā and others. “Learned brāhmaṇas and accomplished ascetics worship here every month on the eighth and fourteenth days. In Varanasi, it is especially worshipped during both lunar fortnights, during eclipses of the moon and sun, and in the holy month of Kārtika. At all sacred festivals, solstices, and equinoxes, all the holy places on earth are found in Varanasi, and the sacred Jahnavi flows there. “This sacred river, flowing north from my matted hair and from your father—the auspicious daughter of Himālaya—graces this place. Listen, O beautiful-faced one, to those who always worship this meritorious place, established in a holy region and approached from all directions. “Kurukṣetra, with its hundreds of sacred fords, as well as Puṣkara, Nimiṣa, Prayāga, and Pṛthudaka, are all gathered here. Drumakṣetra, Kurukṣetra, Naimiṣa with its sacred fords, and all such fields, along with the deities and sages, are present here. The twilights, the seasons, all rivers, lakes, and the seven oceans, as well as all divine fords, are entirely present here. “O virtuous one, at every festival, the Bhāgīrathī herself comes together here, beholding Avimukteśvara and even heaven itself. Having approached Kālabhairava, all sins are completely destroyed; at every festival, the lords of the gods are purified. “All the great and holy shrines on earth always enter Avimukta, the supreme field, at every festival, which removes even the greatest sins. The liṅga at Kedāra, the liṅga at Mahālaya, the one called Madhyameśvara, Pāśupateśvara, Śaṅkukarṇeśvara, both Gokarṇa shrines, Drumacaṇḍeśvara, the excellent Bhadreśvara, Sthāneśvara, Ekāgra, Kāleśvara, and Ajeśvara—all these are present here.” Thus did the Lord reveal to Pārvatī the supreme sanctity of Avimukta, the heart of all holy places, where all sacred rivers, shrines, and blessings converge, and where the mere sight of the Lord and his liṅga brings liberation and the end of all suffering.