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.
नानावर्णा विवर्णाश्च चांडालाद्या जुगुप्सिताः । किल्बिषैः पूर्णदेहाश्च विशिष्टैः पातकैस्तथा
Those of various castes, even the outcastes and the despised, whose bodies are filled with grave sins and major transgressions—
भेषजं परमं तेषामविमुक्तं विदुर्बुधाः । अविमुक्तं परं ज्ञानमविमुक्तं परं पदम्
For them, Avimukta is known by the wise as the supreme medicine; 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 Shiva; those who have taken the vow of renunciation and 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, Pushkara as well; Kurukshetra, Bhadrakoti, Narmada, Amratakeshvari—
शालग्रामं च कुब्जाम्रं कोकामुखमनुत्तमम् । प्रभासं विजयेशानं गोकर्णं भद्रकर्णकम्
Shalagrama, Kubjamra, Kokamukha the excellent; Prabhasa, Vijayanesha, Gokarna, and Bhadrakarnaka—
एतानि पुण्यस्थानानि त्रैलोक्ये विश्रुतानि ह । न यास्यंति परं तत्त्वं वाराणस्यां यथा मृताः
These sacred places, renowned throughout the three worlds, do not grant the supreme truth to those who die there as Varanasi does.
वाराणस्यां विशेषेण गंगा त्रिपथगामिनी । प्रविष्टा नाशयेत्पापं जन्मांतरशतैः कृतम्
Especially in Varanasi, the Ganga, flowing in three paths, destroys the sins committed over hundreds of lifetimes when she enters.
अन्यत्र सुलभा गंगा श्राद्धं दानं तपो जपः । व्रतानि सर्वमेवैतद्वाराणस्यां सुदुर्ल्लभम्
Elsewhere, the Ganga, ancestral rites, charity, austerity, recitation, and all vows are easily obtained; but in Varanasi, all these are extremely rare.
जपेच्च जुहुयान्नित्यं ददात्यर्चयतेऽमरान् । वायुभक्षश्च सततं वाराणस्यां स्थितो नरः
A man who, dwelling in Varanasi, constantly recites, offers oblations, gives, worships the gods, and always lives on air alone—