दुर्ल्लभा तपसा चापि मृतस्य परमेश्वरि । यत्र तत्र विपन्नस्य गतिः संसारमोक्षणी
O Supreme Lady, even by austerity it is hard to obtain for the dead; wherever one perishes, there is liberation from worldly existence.
प्रसादाज्जायते सम्यक्मम शैलेंद्रनंदिनि । अप्रवृद्धा न पश्यंति मम मायाविमोहिताः
By my grace alone, O daughter of the mountain, is it truly attained; those not matured do not see, being deluded by my maya.
विण्मूत्ररेतसां मध्ये ते वसंति पुनः पुनः । हन्यमानोऽपि यो विद्वान्वसेद्विघ्नशतैरपि
Amidst excrement, urine, and semen, they dwell again and again; yet the wise one, even if afflicted by a hundred obstacles, should remain there.
स याति परमं स्थानं यत्र गत्वा न शोचति । जन्ममृत्युजरामुक्तं परं यांति शिवालयम्
He attains the supreme place, where, having gone, he does not grieve; freed from birth, death, and old age, he reaches the abode of Shiva.
अपुनर्मरणानां हि सा गतिर्मोक्षकांक्षिणाम् । यां प्राप्य कृतकृत्यः स्यादिति मन्यंति पंडिताः
That is the state of those who do not die again, the goal of seekers of liberation; having attained it, one is fulfilled—so think the wise.
न दानैर्न तपोभिश्च न यज्ञैर्नापि विद्यया । प्राप्यते गतिरुत्कृष्टा याविमुक्ते तु लभ्यते
Not by gifts, nor by austerities, nor by sacrifices, nor by knowledge is that supreme state attained; but in Avimukta, it is obtained.
नानावर्णा विवर्णाश्च चांडालाद्या जुगुप्सिताः । किल्बिषैः पूर्णदेहाश्च विशिष्टैः पातकैस्तथा
Those of various colors, those without color, the outcastes and others who are despised, whose bodies are filled with sins and marked by grave transgressions—
भेषजं परमं तेषामविमुक्तं विदुर्बुधाः । अविमुक्तं परं ज्ञानमविमुक्तं परं पदम्
For them, the wise know Avimukta to be the supreme remedy; Avimukta is the highest knowledge, Avimukta is the supreme state.
अविमुक्तं परं तत्त्वमविमुक्तं परं शिवम् । कृत्वा वै नैष्ठिकीं दीक्षामविमुक्ते वसंति ये
Avimukta is the highest reality, Avimukta is the supreme auspiciousness; those who, having undertaken the steadfast initiation, dwell in Avimukta—
तेषां तत्परमं ज्ञानं ददाम्यंते परं पदम् । प्रयागं नैमिषारण्यं श्रीशैलोऽथ महाबलम्
To them I grant that supreme knowledge, and at the end, the highest state. Prayaga, Naimisharanya, Srisaila, and Mahabala,
केदारं भद्रकर्णं तु गया पुष्करमेव च । कुरुक्षेत्रं भद्रकोटिर्नर्मदाम्रातकेश्वरी
Kedara, Bhadrakarna, Gaya, and also Pushkara; Kurukshetra, Bhadrakoti, Narmada, Amratakeshvari,
शालग्रामं च कुब्जाम्रं कोकामुखमनुत्तमम् । प्रभासं विजयेशानं गोकर्णं भद्रकर्णकम्
Shalagrama, Kubjamra, Kokamukha the unsurpassed; Prabhasa, Vijayesana, Gokarna, and Bhadrakarnaka—
एतानि पुण्यस्थानानि त्रैलोक्ये विश्रुतानि ह । न यास्यंति परं तत्त्वं वाराणस्यां यथा मृताः
These sacred places are renowned throughout the three worlds; but those who die in Varanasi do not attain the supreme reality in any of these as they do there.
वाराणस्यां विशेषेण गंगा त्रिपथगामिनी । प्रविष्टा नाशयेत्पापं जन्मांतरशतैः कृतम्
Especially in Varanasi, the Ganga, flowing in three paths, having entered, destroys the sins committed over hundreds of lifetimes.
अन्यत्र सुलभा गंगा श्राद्धं दानं तपो जपः । व्रतानि सर्वमेवैतद्वाराणस्यां सुदुर्ल्लभम्
Elsewhere, the Ganga, offerings to ancestors, gifts, austerity, and recitation are easily obtained; but all these are exceedingly rare in Varanasi.
जपेच्च जुहुयान्नित्यं ददात्यर्चयतेऽमरान् । वायुभक्षश्च सततं वाराणस्यां स्थितो नरः
Whoever, dwelling in Varanasi, always recites, makes offerings, gives, worships the gods, or lives continually on air—
यदि पापो यदि शठो यदि वा धार्मिको नरः । वाराणसीं समासाद्य पुनाति सकलं कुलम्
Whether a sinner, a deceiver, or a righteous man, whoever reaches Varanasi purifies his entire lineage.
वाराणस्यां येऽर्चयंति महादेवं स्तुवंति वै । सर्वपापविनिर्मुक्तास्ते विज्ञेया गणेश्वराः
Those who worship Mahadeva and praise him in Varanasi are to be known as lords among Ganas, freed from all sin.
अन्यत्र योगज्ञानाभ्यां संन्यासादथवान्यतः । प्राप्यते तत्परं स्थानं सहस्रेणैव जन्मनाम्
Elsewhere, that supreme state is attained through yoga, knowledge, renunciation, or by other means, only after a thousand births.
ये भक्ता देवदेवेशि वाराणस्यां वसंति वै । ते विंदंति परं मोक्षमेकेनैव तु जन्मना
But those devotees, O Lady of the gods, who dwell in Varanasi, attain the highest liberation in a single birth.
यत्र योगस्तथा ज्ञानं मुक्तिरेकेन जन्मना । अविमुक्तं तदासाद्य नान्यदिच्छेत्तपोवनम्
Where yoga, knowledge, and liberation are gained in a single birth—having reached Avimukta, one should not desire any other sacred grove.
यतो मयाऽविमुक्तं तदविमुक्तं ततः स्मृतम् । तदेव गुह्यं गुह्यानामेतद्विज्ञानमुच्यते
Because by me it is called Avimukta, therefore it is remembered as Avimukta; this alone is the most secret of secrets, this is called true knowledge.
ज्ञानाज्ञानाभिनिष्ठानां परमानंदमिच्छताम् । यागतिर्विदिता सुभ्रूः साविमुक्ते मृतस्य तु
For those established in knowledge or ignorance, desiring the highest bliss, O fair-browed one, the destination for the dead is known to be in Avimukta.
यानि चैवाविमुक्तस्य देहे दृष्टानि कृत्स्नशः । पुरी वाराणसी तेभ्यः स्थानेभ्योऽप्यधिका शुभा
And whatever auspicious marks are seen on the body of one from Avimukta, the city of Varanasi is superior to all those places.
यत्र साक्षान्महादेवो देहांते स्वयमीश्वरः । व्याचष्टे तारकं ब्रह्म तत्रैव ह्यविमुक्तये
Where the great Lord, Mahadeva, himself at the end of the body, reveals the Taraka Brahman, there indeed is Avimukta.
यत्तत्परतरं तत्त्वमविमुक्तमिति श्रुतम् । एकेन जन्मना देवि वाराणस्यां तदाप्नुयात्
That supreme principle, known as Avimukta, is heard of; one who is born even once in Varanasi, O Devi, attains it.
भ्रूमध्ये नाभिमध्ये च हृदये चैव मूर्धनि । यथाविमुक्तमादित्ये वाराणस्यां व्यवस्थितम्
In the center of the brows, the navel, the heart, and the crown of the head, as Avimukta is established in the sun, so it is fixed in Varanasi.
वरणायास्तथा चास्या मध्ये वाराणसीपुरी । तत्रैव संस्थितं तत्त्वं नित्यमेवंविमुक्तकम्
In the middle of the rivers Varana and Asi lies the city of Varanasi; there the principle is eternally established as Avimukta.
वाराणस्याः परं स्थानं न भूतं न भविष्यति । यत्र नारायणो देवो महादेवो दिवीश्वरः
There is no place superior to Varanasi, nor has there been nor will there be; where Narayana, the god, and Mahadeva, the lord of heaven, reside.
तत्र देवाः सगंधर्वाः सयक्षोरगराक्षसाः । उपासते यं सततं देवदेवः पितामहः
There, the gods, along with Gandharvas, Yakshas, Nagas, and Rakshasas, constantly worship the Lord of gods, Pitamaha.