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—
यदि पापो यदि शठो यदि वा धार्मिको नरः । वाराणसीं समासाद्य पुनाति सकलं कुलम्
Whether sinful, deceitful, or righteous, a man who attains Varanasi purifies his entire lineage.
वाराणस्यां येऽर्चयंति महादेवं स्तुवंति वै । सर्वपापविनिर्मुक्तास्ते विज्ञेया गणेश्वराः
Those who worship Mahadeva and praise him in Varanasi should be known as lords among Shiva’s hosts, completely freed from all sin.
अन्यत्र योगज्ञानाभ्यां संन्यासादथवान्यतः । प्राप्यते तत्परं स्थानं सहस्रेणैव जन्मनाम्
Elsewhere, the supreme state is attained through yoga, knowledge, renunciation, or other means, but 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 that Avimukta, one desires no other sacred forest.
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, and this knowledge is so declared.
ज्ञानाज्ञानाभिनिष्ठानां परमानंदमिच्छताम् । यागतिर्विदिता सुभ्रूः साविमुक्ते मृतस्य तु
For those established in knowledge or ignorance, who desire supreme bliss, the path is known, O fair-browed one, for one who dies in Avimukta.
यानि चैवाविमुक्तस्य देहे दृष्टानि कृत्स्नशः । पुरी वाराणसी तेभ्यः स्थानेभ्योऽप्यधिका शुभा
Whatever auspicious marks are seen on the body of one in Avimukta, the city of Varanasi is superior and more auspicious than all those places.
यत्र साक्षान्महादेवो देहांते स्वयमीश्वरः । व्याचष्टे तारकं ब्रह्म तत्रैव ह्यविमुक्तये
There, at the end of the body, Mahadeva himself directly reveals the liberating Brahman, precisely for the sake of Avimukti.
यत्तत्परतरं तत्त्वमविमुक्तमिति श्रुतम् । एकेन जन्मना देवि वाराणस्यां तदाप्नुयात्
That which is the highest truth is called Avimukta; O goddess, one attains it in Varanasi in a single birth.