अश्वमेधमवाप्नोति स्वर्गलोकं च गच्छति । यमुनाप्रभवं गच्छेत्समुपस्पृश्य यामुनम्
He attains the fruit of an Aśvamedha sacrifice and goes to the heavenly world; he should go to the source of the Yamunā and touch the water of the Yamunā.
अश्वमेधफलं लब्ध्वा ब्रह्मलोके महीयते । दर्वीसंक्रमणं प्राप्य तीर्थं त्रैलोक्यविश्रुतम्
Having obtained the fruit of an Aśvamedha sacrifice, he is honored in the world of Brahma; reaching Darvīsaṃkramaṇa, the pilgrimage renowned in the three worlds—
अश्वमेधमवाप्नोति स्वर्गलोकं च गच्छति । सिंधोश्च प्रभवं गत्वा सिद्धगंधर्वसेवितम्
—he attains the fruit of an Aśvamedha sacrifice and goes to the heavenly world; going to the source of the Sindhu, served by siddhas and gandharvas—
तत्रोष्य रजनीः पंच दद्याद्बहुसुवर्णकम् । अथ देवीं समासाद्य नरः परमदुर्गमाम्
—if he stays there for five nights and gives abundant gold, then, having approached the exceedingly difficult goddess—
अश्वमेधमवाप्नोति गच्छेच्चौशनसीं गतिम् । ऋषिकुल्यां समासाद्य वसिष्ठं चैव भारत
—he attains the fruit of an Aśvamedha sacrifice and goes to the path of Uśanas; reaching Ṛṣikulyā and Vasiṣṭha, O descendant of Bharata—
वसिष्ठं समतिक्रम्य सर्वे वर्णा द्विजातयः । ऋषिकुल्यां नरः स्नात्वा ऋषिलोकं प्रपद्यते
—having passed Vasiṣṭha, all twice-born of all varṇas, by bathing at Ṛṣikulyā, a man attains the world of the sages.
यदि तत्र वसेन्मासं शाकाहारो नराधिप । भृगुतुंगं समासाद्य वाजिमेधफलं लभेत्
If, O lord of men, he stays there for a month, subsisting on vegetables, upon reaching Bhṛgutunga, he obtains the fruit of a horse sacrifice.
गत्वा वीरप्रमोक्षं च सर्वपापैः प्रमुच्यते । कार्तिकमाघयोश्चैव तीर्थमासाद्य दुर्लभम्
Going to Vīrapramokṣa, he is freed from all sins; and, in the difficult-to-attain pilgrimage of Kārtika and Māgha—
अग्निष्टोमातिरात्राभ्यां फलं प्राप्नोति पुण्यकृत् । ततः संध्यां समासाद्य विद्यातीर्थमनुत्तमम्
—the doer of merit obtains the fruit of Agniṣṭoma and Atirātra sacrifices; then, reaching Saṃdhyā, the supreme place of learning—
उपस्पृशेत्स विद्यानां सर्वासां पारगो भवेत् । महाश्रमे वसेद्रात्रिं सर्वपापप्रमोचने
—if he touches the water there, he becomes accomplished in all knowledge; if he stays a night in the great hermitage, he is freed from all sins.
एककालं निराहारो लोकान्संवसते शुभान् । षष्ठकालोपवासेन मासमुष्य महालये
Fasting for one period, he dwells among auspicious worlds; by fasting every sixth period during the great dissolution, he attains a month there.
तीर्णस्तारयते जंतून्दशपूर्वान्दशापरान् । दृष्ट्वा माहेश्वरं पुण्यं परं सुरनमस्कृतम्
Having crossed over, he leads across creatures—ten before and ten after; seeing the holy place of Maheśvara, revered by the gods, brings supreme merit.
कृतार्थः सर्वकृत्येषु न शोचेन्मरणं क्वचित् । सर्वपापविशुद्धात्मा विंद्याद्बहुसुवर्णकम्
One who has fulfilled all duties should never grieve for death at any time; with a mind purified from all sins, he attains abundant gold.
अथ वेतसिकां गच्छेत्पितामहनिषेविताम् । अश्वमेधमवाप्नोति गतिं च परमां व्रजेत्
Then, going to Vetasikā, honored by the grandsire, he obtains the fruit of an Aśvamedha sacrifice and attains the highest state.
अथ सुंदरिकां तीर्थं प्राप्य सिद्धनिषेविताम् । रूपस्य भागी भवति दृष्टमेतत्पुरातनैः
Then, reaching the holy place Sundarikā, frequented by the perfected beings, he becomes endowed with beauty, as seen by the ancients.
ततो ब्राह्मणिकां गत्वा ब्रह्मचारी समाहितः । पद्मवर्णेन यानेन ब्रह्मलोकं प्रपद्यते
Then, going to Brāhmaṇikā, the devoted celibate, with concentrated mind, attains the world of Brahmā in a vehicle shining like a lotus.
ततश्च नैमिषं गच्छेत्पुण्यं द्विजनिषेवितम् । तत्र नित्यं निवसति ब्रह्मा देवगणैः सह
After that, he should go to Naimiṣa, the holy place frequented by twice-born sages; there, Brahmā always resides with the hosts of gods.
नैमिषं प्रार्थयानस्य पापस्यार्द्धं प्रणश्यति । प्रविष्टमानस्तु नरः सर्वपापात्प्रमुच्यते
For one who desires Naimiṣa, half of his sin is destroyed; but the man who enters it is freed from all sin.
युधिष्ठिर उवाच- वाराणस्याश्च माहात्म्यं संक्षेपात्कथितं त्वया । विस्तरेण मुने ब्रूहि तदा प्रीणाति मे मनः
Yudhiṣṭhira said: You have briefly described the greatness of Vārāṇasī; O sage, tell it to me in detail, for my mind is delighted by it.
नारद उवाच-। अत्रेतिहासं वक्ष्यामि वाराणस्या गुणाश्रयम् । यस्य श्रवणमात्रेण मुच्यते ब्रह्महत्यया
Nārada said: Here I shall recount an ancient tale, the source of Vārāṇasī's virtues; by merely hearing it, one is freed from the sin of killing a Brahmin.
मेरुशृंगे पुरा देवमीशानं त्रिपुरद्विषम् । देवासनगता देवी महादेवमपृच्छत
Once, on the summit of Mount Meru, the goddess, seated among the gods, asked the great god Īśāna, the enemy of Tripura.
देव्युवाच-। देवदेव महादेव भक्तानामार्तिनाशन । कथं त्वां पुरुषो देवमचिरादेव पश्यति
The goddess said: O god of gods, great god, destroyer of devotees' suffering, how may a person quickly see you, the divine lord?
सांख्ययोगस्तथा ध्यानं कर्मयोगोऽथ वैदिकः । आयासबहुला लोके यानि चान्यानि शंकर
Sāṃkhya-yoga, meditation, karma-yoga, and Vedic rites—these and other practices, O Śaṃkara, are full of effort in the world.
येन विश्रांतचित्तानां योगिनां कर्मिणामपि । दृश्यो हि भगवान्सूक्ष्मः सर्वेषामथ देहिनाम्
By what means does the subtle Lord become visible to all embodied beings, even to yogis and those engaged in action whose minds are at rest?
एतद्गुह्यतमं ज्ञानं गूढं शक्रादिसेवितम् । हिताय सर्वभूतानां ब्रूहि कामाग्निनाशनम्
This most secret knowledge, hidden and served by Indra and others, destroys the fire of desire; speak it for the welfare of all beings.
ईश्वर उवाच-। अवाच्यमत्र विज्ञानं ज्ञानमज्ञैर्बहिष्कृतम् । वक्ष्ये तव यथातत्त्वं यदुक्तं परमर्षिभिः
Īśvara said: This knowledge here is not to be spoken; it is rejected by the ignorant. Yet I shall tell you the truth, as declared by the supreme sages.
परं गुह्यतमं क्षेत्रं मम वाराणसी पुरी । सर्वेषामेव भूतानां संसारार्णवतारिणी
My city Vārāṇasī is the most secret field, the highest; it carries all beings across the ocean of worldly existence.
तत्र भक्त्या महादेवि मदीयं व्रतमास्थिताः । निवसंति महात्मानः परं नियममास्थिताः
There, O great goddess, those who reside with devotion, observing my vow and supreme discipline, are great souls.
उत्तमं सर्वतीर्थानां स्थानानामुत्तमं च यत् । ज्ञानानामुत्तमं ज्ञानमविमुक्तं परं मम
Of all sacred waters, this is the highest; of all places, this is the best; of all knowledge, this is the supreme knowledge—Avimukta is my ultimate.
स्थानांतर पवित्राणि तीर्थान्यायतनानि च । श्मशानसंस्थितान्येव दिव्यभूमिगतानि च
Other places, sanctified grounds, sacred waters, and shrines—even those situated in cremation grounds or on divine lands—