ततश्च नैमिषं गच्छेत्पुण्यं द्विजनिषेवितम् । तत्र नित्यं निवसति ब्रह्मा देवगणैः सह
Then one should go to Naimisha, the sacred place frequented by twice-born men; there, Brahma always resides together with the hosts of gods.
नैमिषं प्रार्थयानस्य पापस्यार्द्धं प्रणश्यति । प्रविष्टमानस्तु नरः सर्वपापात्प्रमुच्यते
For one who desires Naimisha, half of his sin is destroyed; but a man who actually enters it is freed from all sin.
युधिष्ठिर उवाच- वाराणस्याश्च माहात्म्यं संक्षेपात्कथितं त्वया । विस्तरेण मुने ब्रूहि तदा प्रीणाति मे मनः
Yudhishthira said: You have briefly described the greatness of Varanasi; 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
Narada said: Here I will recount an ancient story, grounded in the virtues of Varanasi; 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 questioned Mahadeva, the enemy of Tripura.
देव्युवाच-। देवदेव महादेव भक्तानामार्तिनाशन । कथं त्वां पुरुषो देवमचिरादेव पश्यति
The goddess said: O God of gods, great Lord, destroyer of the suffering of devotees, how does a person quickly behold you, the divine Lord?
सांख्ययोगस्तथा ध्यानं कर्मयोगोऽथ वैदिकः । आयासबहुला लोके यानि चान्यानि शंकर
Sankhya-yoga, meditation, karma-yoga, and Vedic rites—these and other practices, O Shankara, 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 yogis, to those engaged in action, and indeed to all embodied beings whose minds are at rest?
एतद्गुह्यतमं ज्ञानं गूढं शक्रादिसेवितम् । हिताय सर्वभूतानां ब्रूहि कामाग्निनाशनम्
Tell me this most secret knowledge, hidden and served by Indra and others; for the good of all beings, tell me that which destroys the fire of desire.
ईश्वर उवाच-। अवाच्यमत्र विज्ञानं ज्ञानमज्ञैर्बहिष्कृतम् । वक्ष्ये तव यथातत्त्वं यदुक्तं परमर्षिभिः
Ishvara said: This knowledge is not to be spoken here, for it is rejected by the ignorant; yet I will tell you the truth of what the supreme sages have declared.
परं गुह्यतमं क्षेत्रं मम वाराणसी पुरी । सर्वेषामेव भूतानां संसारार्णवतारिणी
My city of Varanasi is the supreme, most secret field; it carries all beings across the ocean of worldly existence.
तत्र भक्त्या महादेवि मदीयं व्रतमास्थिताः । निवसंति महात्मानः परं नियममास्थिताः
There, O great goddess, great souls reside, devoted to my vow, upholding the highest discipline.
उत्तमं सर्वतीर्थानां स्थानानामुत्तमं च यत् । ज्ञानानामुत्तमं ज्ञानमविमुक्तं परं मम
It is the best among all sacred fords, the best among all places; among all forms of knowledge, Avimukta is my supreme and highest knowledge.
स्थानांतर पवित्राणि तीर्थान्यायतनानि च । श्मशानसंस्थितान्येव दिव्यभूमिगतानि च
Other pure places, sacred fords, and shrines, as well as those situated in cremation grounds or on divine lands—
भूर्लोके नैव संलग्नमंतरिक्षे ममालयम् । अमुक्तास्तत्र पश्यंति मुक्ताः पश्यंति चेतसा
In the world of mortals, my abode is not attached to the earth or the sky; the unliberated see it there, while the liberated behold it with their mind.
श्मशानमेतद्विख्यातमविमुक्तमिति श्रुतम् । कालो भूत्वा जगदिदं संहराम्यत्र सुंदरि
This cremation ground is renowned as Avimukta, so it is heard; O beautiful one, becoming Time itself, I dissolve this world here.
देवीदं सर्वगुह्यानां स्थानं प्रियतरं मम । मद्भक्तास्तत्र गच्छंति मामेव प्रविशंति च
O goddess, this is the dearest place to me of all secret places; my devotees go there and enter into me.
दत्तं जप्तं हुतं चेष्टं तपस्तप्तं कृतं च यत् । ध्यानमध्ययनं ज्ञानं सर्वं तत्राक्षयं भवेत्
Whatever is given, recited, offered, performed, or any austerity practiced, meditation, study, or knowledge—all that becomes imperishable there.
जन्मांतरसहस्रेषु यत्पापं पूर्वसंचितम् । अविमुक्तं प्रविष्टस्य तत्सर्वं व्रजति क्षयम्
All the sins accumulated in thousands of previous births are destroyed for one who enters Avimukta.
ब्राह्मणाः क्षत्रिया वैश्याः शूद्राश्च वर्णसंकराः । स्त्रियो म्लेच्छाश्च ये चान्ये संकीर्णाः पापयोनयः
Brahmins, Kshatriyas, Vaishyas, Shudras, those of mixed castes, women, foreigners, and all others of impure birth—
कीटाः पिपीलिकाश्चैव ये चान्ये मृगपक्षिणः । कालेन निधनं प्राप्ता अविमुक्ते वरानने
Insects, ants, and all other animals and birds who meet their end in Avimukta, O beautiful one—
चंद्रार्द्धमौलयस्त्र्यक्षा महावृषभवाहनाः । शिवे मम पुरे देवि जायंते तत्र मानवाः
Those whose lord is adorned with the crescent moon, who has three eyes, who rides the great bull—O goddess, in my city, such beings are born as humans there.
नाविमुक्ते मृतः कश्चिन्नरकं याति किल्बिषी । ईश्वरानुगृहीता हि सर्वे यांति परां गतिम्
No one who dies in Avimukta, no matter how sinful, goes to hell; all are graced by the Lord and attain the highest state.
मोक्षं सुदुर्ल्लभं मत्वा संसारं चातिभीषणम् । अश्मना चरणौ भंक्त्वा वाराणस्यां वसेन्नरः
Considering liberation extremely rare and worldly existence most dreadful, a man should break his legs with a stone and dwell in Varanasi.
दुर्ल्लभा तपसा चापि मृतस्य परमेश्वरि । यत्र तत्र विपन्नस्य गतिः संसारमोक्षणी
O supreme goddess, even by austerity it is difficult to obtain, for one who dies anywhere else; but in Avimukta, the path to liberation from worldly existence is assured.
प्रसादाज्जायते सम्यक्मम शैलेंद्रनंदिनि । अप्रवृद्धा न पश्यंति मम मायाविमोहिताः
By my grace alone, O daughter of the mountain king, one is truly born there; those not matured do not see, being deluded by my maya.
विण्मूत्ररेतसां मध्ये ते वसंति पुनः पुनः । हन्यमानोऽपि यो विद्वान्वसेद्विघ्नशतैरपि
Amidst filth, 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 state, where, having reached, he does not grieve; freed from birth, death, and old age, he goes to 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 those who seek 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 highest state attained, but in Avimukta it is obtained.