तत्र चैषा तु या मात्रा प्लुता नामोपदिश्यते एषा एव भवेत्कार्या गृहस्थानां तु योगिनाम्
Among these, the measure called 'pluta' is prescribed; this alone should be practiced by householders and yogins.
एषां चैव विशेषेण ऐश्वर्ये ह्यष्टलक्षणे अणिमाद्ये तु विज्ञेया तस्माद्युञ्जीत तां द्विजाः
Especially among these, in the eightfold powers beginning with aṇimā, this measure is to be known; therefore, O twice-born, practice it.
एवं हि योगसंयुक्तः शुचिर् दान्तो जितेन्द्रियः आत्मानं विद्यते यस्तु स सर्वं विन्दते द्विजाः
Thus, one united with yoga, pure, self-controlled, and master of the senses, who knows the self, O twice-born, attains all.
तस्मात्पाशुपतैर्योगैर् आत्मानं चिन्तयेद्बुधः आत्मानं जानते ये तु शुचयस्ते न संशयः
Therefore, the wise should contemplate the self by means of Pāśupata yogas; those pure ones who know the self, of them there is no doubt.
ऋचो यजूंषि सामानि वेदोपनिषदस् तथा योगज्ञानादवाप्नोति ब्राह्मणो ऽध्यात्मचिन्तकः
A Brāhmaṇa devoted to contemplation of the self attains the Ṛg, Yajur, and Sāma Vedas, the Upaniṣads, and also the knowledge born of yoga.
सर्वदेवमयो भूत्वा अभूतः स तु जायते योनिसंक्रमणं त्यक्त्वा याति वै शाश्वतं पदम्
Becoming one with all the gods, he is born no more; abandoning passage through the womb, he attains the eternal state.
यथा वृक्षात् फलं पक्वं पवनेन समीरितम् नमस्कारेण रुद्रस्य तथा पापं प्रणश्यति
Just as a ripe fruit falls from a tree when stirred by the wind, so does sin perish by salutation to Rudra.
यत्र रुद्रनमस्कारः सर्वकर्मफलो ध्रुवः अन्यदेवनमस्कारान् न तत्फलमवाप्नुयात्
Where there is salutation to Rudra, the result of all actions is certain; by salutation to other gods, that fruit is not obtained.
तस्मात्त्रिःप्रवणं योगी उपासीत महेश्वरम् दशविस्तारकं ब्रह्म तथा च ब्रह्मविस्तरैः
Therefore, the yogin should worship the great Lord three times a day, and Brahman of tenfold extent, as well as by the extensions of Brahman.
एवं ध्यानसमायुक्तः स्वदेहं यः परित्यजेत् स याति शिवसायुज्यं समुद्धृत्य कुलत्रयम्
Thus, one endowed with meditation who abandons his own body attains union with Śiva, uplifting the three families.
अथवारिष्टमालोक्य मरणे समुपस्थिते अविमुक्तेश्वरं गत्वा वाराणस्यां तु शोधनम्
Or, seeing death approaching, going to Avimukteśvara in Vārāṇasī brings purification.
येन केनापि वा देहं संत्यजेन् मुच्यते नरः श्रीपर्वते वा विप्रेन्द्राः संत्यजेत्स्वतनुं नरः
By whatever means a man gives up his body, he is liberated; O best of Brāhmaṇas, if he gives up his body at Śrīparvata, too.
स याति शिवसायुज्यं नात्र कार्या विचारणा अविमुक्तं परं क्षेत्रं जन्तूनां मुक्तिदं सदा
He attains union with Śiva—on this there should be no doubt; Avimukta is the supreme field, always granting liberation to beings.
सेवेत सततं धीमान् विशेषान्मरणान्तिके
The wise should always serve it, especially at the approach of death.
एवं वाराणसी पुण्या यदि सूत महामते वक्तुमर्हसि चास्माकं तत्प्रभावं हि सांप्रतम्
Thus, O wise Sūta, if Vārāṇasī is so holy, you ought now to tell us of its power.
क्षेत्रस्यास्य च माहात्म्यम् अविमुक्तस्य शोभनम् विस्तरेण यथान्यायं श्रोतुं कौतूहलं हि नः
We are eager to hear, in detail and according to tradition, the splendid greatness of this field, Avimukta.
वक्ष्ये संक्षेपतः सम्यक् वाराणस्याः सुशोभनम् अविमुक्तस्य माहात्म्यं यथाह भगवान् भवः
I shall properly recount, in brief, the glorious greatness of Avimukta at Vārāṇasī, as spoken by the blessed Lord Bhava.
विस्तरेण मया वक्तुं ब्रह्मणा च महात्मना शक्यते नैव विप्रेन्द्रा वर्षकोटिशतैरपि
Even in hundreds of millions of years, O best of Brāhmins, neither I nor the great-souled Brahmā could fully describe it in detail.
देवः पुरा कृतोद्वाहः शङ्करो नीललोहितः हिमवच्छिखराद्देव्या हैमवत्या गणेश्वरैः
Long ago, when Śaṅkara, blue and red in hue, was newly wed, he came down from Himavat's peak with the goddess Haimavatī and the lords of the hosts.
वाराणसीमनुप्राप्य दर्शयामास शङ्करः अविमुक्तेश्वरं लिङ्गं वासं तत्र चकार सः
Arriving at Vārāṇasī, Śaṅkara revealed the liṅga of Avimukteśvara and made his dwelling there.
वाराणसीकुरुक्षेत्रश्रीपर्वतमहालये तुङ्गेश्वरे च केदारे तत्स्थाने यो यतिर्भवेत्
In Vārāṇasī, Kurukṣetra, Śrīparvata, Mahālaya, Tuṅgeśvara, and Kedāra, wherever an ascetic may reside—
योगे पाशुपते सम्यक् दिनमेकं यतिर्भवेत् तस्मात्सर्वं परित्यज्य चरेत् पाशुपतं व्रतम्
If an ascetic practices the Pāśupata yoga rightly for even a single day, then, renouncing everything, he should undertake the Pāśupata vow.
देवोद्याने वसेत्तत्र शर्वोद्यानमनुत्तमम् मनसा निर्ममे रुद्रो विमानं च सुशोभनम्
There, in the divine garden, he should dwell—Śarva's unsurpassed garden, which Rudra conceived in his mind, along with a splendid palace.
दर्शयामास च तदा देवोद्यानमनुत्तमम् हैमवत्याः स्वयं देवः सनन्दी परमेश्वरः
At that time, the supreme Lord himself, accompanied by Nandī and Haimavatī, revealed that unsurpassed divine garden.
क्षेत्रस्यास्य च माहात्म्यम् अविमुक्तस्य शङ्करः उक्तवान्परमेशानः पार्वत्याः प्रीतये भवः
For the delight of Pārvatī, the supreme Lord Bhava, Śaṅkara, spoke of the greatness of this field, Avimukta.
प्रफुल्लनानाविधगुल्मशोभितं लताप्रतानादिमनोहरं बहिः विरूढपुष्पैः परितः प्रियङ्गुभिः सुपुष्पितैः कण्टकितैश् च केतकैः
It was adorned with blooming bushes of many kinds, enchanting with trailing vines, and all around were lovely flowers—priyaṅgu in full bloom and thorny ketaka.
तमालगुल्मैर्निचितं सुगन्धिभिर् निकामपुष्पैर्वकुलैश् च सर्वतः अशोकपुन्नागशतैः सुपुष्पितैर् द्विरेफमालाकुलपुष्पसंचयैः
It was filled everywhere with fragrant tamāla thickets and clusters of fully blossomed vakula, and with hundreds of flowering aśoka and punnāga trees, their blossoms swarming with bees.
क्वचित् प्रफुल्लाम्बुजरेणुभूषितैर् विहङ्गमैश् चानुकलप्रणादिभिः विनादितं सारसचक्रवाकैः प्रमत्तदात्यूहवरैश् च सर्वतः
In some places, birds dusted with pollen from blooming lotuses sang melodiously, and the air resounded everywhere with the calls of cranes, ruddy geese, and intoxicated dātyūha birds.
क्वचिच्च केकारुतनादितं शुभं क्वचिच्च कारण्डवनादनादितम् क्वचिच्च मत्तालिकुलाकुलीकृतं मदाकुलाभिर् भ्रमराङ्गनादिभिः
Elsewhere, it echoed with the auspicious cries of peacocks, or the calls of waterfowl, or was filled with swarms of intoxicated bees, their buzzing mingling with the songs of female bees.
निषेवितं चारुसुगन्धिपुष्पकैः क्वचित् सुपुष्पैः सहकारवृक्षैः लतोपगूढैस्तिलकैश् च गूढं प्रगीतविद्याधरसिद्धचारणम्
In some places, it was frequented by beautiful, fragrant flowers and blossoming mango trees, hidden by vines and tilaka trees, and filled with the songs of Vidyādharas, Siddhas, and Cāraṇas.