यत्र प्रसूतिर्जगतो विनाशो येनावृतं सर्वमिदं शिवेन । तं ब्रह्मपारं भगवंतमीशं प्रणम्य नित्यं शरणं प्रपद्ये
Where the origin and dissolution of the world occur, by whom all this is enveloped with auspiciousness—him, the limit of Brahman, the blessed Lord, I ever bow to and take refuge in.
अलिंगमालोकविहीनरूपं स्वयंप्रभुं चित्पतिमेकरूपम् । तं ब्रह्मपारं परमेश्वरं त्वां नमस्करिष्ये न यतोऽन्यदस्ति
Formless, devoid of visible appearance, self-existent, lord of consciousness, of single form—him, the limit of Brahman, supreme Lord, I will bow to you, for there is nothing else.
यं योगिनस्त्यक्तसबीजयोगा लब्ध्वा समाधिं परमात्मभूताः । पश्यंति देवं प्रणतोऽस्मि नित्यं तं ब्रह्मपारं परमस्वरूपम्
Whom yogis, having abandoned seed-bearing yoga, attaining samadhi, become one with the supreme self—seeing that god, I always bow to him, the limit of Brahman, the supreme form.
न यत्र नामादिविशेष कॢप्तिर्न संदृशे तिष्ठति यत्स्वरूपम् । तं ब्रह्मपारं प्रणतोऽस्मि नित्यं स्वयंभुवं त्वां शरणं प्रपद्ये
Where there is no distinction of name or other attributes, whose true form does not stand in view—him, the limit of Brahman, I always bow to; to you, self-born, I take refuge.
यद्वेदवादाभिरता विदेहं सब्रह्मविज्ञानमभेदमेकम् । पश्यंत्यनेकं भवतः स्वरूपं तं ब्रह्मपारं प्रणतोऽस्मि नित्यम्
Those devoted to the teachings of the Vedas, having realized the bodiless, the one undivided with Brahman-knowledge, see your manifold true forms—him, the limit of Brahman, I always bow to.
यतः प्रधानं पुरुषः पुराणो बिभर्ति तेजः प्रणमंति देवाः । नमामि तं ज्योतिषि सन्निविष्टं कालं बृहंतं भवतः स्वरूपम्
From whom primordial matter and the ancient person arise, who bears the radiance worshipped by the gods—I bow to that form of yours, vast as time, abiding in light.
व्रजामि नित्यं शरणं गुहेशं स्थाणुं प्रपद्ये गिरिशं पुराणम् । शिवं प्रपद्ये हरिमिंदुमौलिं पिनाकिनं त्वां शरणं व्रजामि
I ever seek refuge in the Lord of the cave, the steadfast one; I take refuge in the ancient Lord of the mountain. I take refuge in Shiva, the remover, the moon-crested, the wielder of the bow; I seek refuge in you.
स्तुत्वैवं शंकुकर्णोऽपि भगवंतं कपर्दिनम् । पपात दंडवद्भूमौ प्रोच्चरन्प्रणवं परम्
Thus having praised the blessed matted-haired Lord, Shankukarṇa fell prostrate on the ground, reciting the supreme syllable.
तत्क्षणात्परमं लिंगं प्रादुर्भूतं शिवात्मकम् । ज्ञानमानंदमत्यंतं कोटिज्वालाग्निसन्निभम्
At that moment, the supreme linga appeared, of the nature of Shiva, knowledge and bliss absolute, resembling the blaze of millions of fires.
शंकुकर्णोऽथ मुक्तात्मा तदात्मा सर्वगोऽमलः । निलिल्ये विमले लिंगे तदद्भुतमिवाभवत्
Then Shankukarṇa, his soul liberated, pure, all-pervading, entered the spotless linga, and it became wondrous.
एतद्रहस्यमाख्यातं माहात्म्यं ते कपर्द्दिनः । न कश्चिद्वेत्ति तमसा विद्वानप्यत्र मुह्यति
This secret, the greatness of the matted-haired one, has been declared to you; no one knows it, and even the learned are bewildered by darkness here.
य इमां शृणुयान्नित्यं कथां पापप्रणाशिनीम् । त्यक्तपापविशुद्धात्मा रुद्रसामीप्यमाप्नुयात्
Whoever hears this story daily, which destroys sin, becomes purified, free from sin, and attains closeness to Rudra.
पठेच्च सततं शुद्धो ब्रह्मपारं महास्तवम् । प्रातर्मध्याह्नसमये स योगं प्राप्नुयात्परम्
And whoever always recites this great hymn to the limit of Brahman, pure, at morning, midday, and evening, attains the highest yoga.
नारद उवाच- वाराणस्यां महाराज मध्यमेशं परात्परम् । तस्मिन्स्थाने महादेवो देव्या सह महेश्वरः
Narada said: In Varanasi, O great king, is the supreme of the supreme, Madhyamesha; in that place, the great god Maheshvara abides together with the goddess.
रमते भगवान्नित्यं रुद्रैश्च परिवारितः । तत्र पूर्वं हृषीकेशो विश्वात्मा देवकीसुतः
The Blessed Lord always delights there, surrounded by the Rudras; there, in former times, Hṛṣīkeśa, the soul of the universe, son of Devakī—
उवास वत्सरं कृष्णः सदा पाशुपतैर्युतः । भस्मोद्धूलितसर्वांगो रुद्राध्ययनतत्परः
Kṛṣṇa dwelled for a year, always accompanied by followers of Paśupati, his entire body smeared with ashes, devoted to the study of Rudra’s teachings.
आराधयन्हरिः शंभुं कृत्वा पाशुपतंव्रतम् । तस्य ते बहवः शिष्याः ब्रह्मचर्यपरायणाः
Hari worshipped Śaṃbhu, having undertaken the vow of Paśupati; he had many disciples devoted to celibacy.
लब्ध्वा तद्वदनाज्ज्ञानं दृष्टवंतो महेश्वरम् । तस्य देवो महादेवः प्रत्यक्षं नीललोहितः
Having received knowledge from his mouth, they beheld Maheśvara; to him, the god Mahādeva, blue and red in hue, appeared directly.
ददौ कृष्णस्य भगवान्वरदो वरमुत्तमम् । येऽर्चयंति च गोविंदं मद्भक्ता विधिपूर्वकम्
The blessed Lord, bestower of boons, granted Kṛṣṇa the highest boon: 'Those who worship Govinda, my devotees, according to prescribed rites—'
तेषां तदैश्वरं ज्ञानमुत्पत्स्यति जगन्मयम् । नमस्योऽर्चयितव्यश्च ध्यातव्यो मत्परैर्जनैः
'For them, that divine knowledge, pervading the universe, will arise; I am to be revered, worshipped, and meditated upon by those devoted to me.'
भविष्यंति न संदेहो मत्प्रसादाद्द्विजातयः । येऽत्र द्रक्ष्यंति देवेशं स्नात्वा देवं पिनाकिनम्
'There is no doubt that, by my grace, those twice-born who see the Lord of gods here, having bathed, the god Pinākin—'
ब्रह्महत्यादिकं पापं तेषामाशु विनश्यति । प्राणांस्त्यक्ष्यंति ये र्मत्याः पापकर्मरता अपि
'Their sins, including the killing of a Brāhmaṇa, are quickly destroyed; even those attached to sinful deeds, if they give up their lives here—'
ते यांति तत्परं स्थानं नात्र कार्या विचारणा । धन्यास्तु खलु ते विज्ञा मंदाकिन्यां कृतोदकाः
'They attain that supreme state—there is no need for deliberation; truly blessed and wise are those who offer water in the Maṇḍākinī.'
अर्चयित्वा महादेवं मध्यमेश्वरमीश्वरम् । ज्ञानं दानं तपः श्राद्धं पिंडनिर्वपणं त्विह
Having worshipped Mahādeva, the Lord of the middle, here, knowledge, charity, austerity, ancestral rites, and the offering of rice balls—
एकैकशः कृतं कर्म पुनात्यासप्तमं कुलम् । सन्निहत्यामुपस्पृश्य राहुग्रस्ते दिवाकरे
Each act performed here purifies up to the seventh generation; by touching the water when the sun is eclipsed by Rāhu—
यत्फलं लभते मर्त्त्यस्तस्माद्दशगुणं त्विह । एवमुक्तं महाराज माहात्म्यं मध्यमेश्वरे । यः शृणोति परं भक्त्या स याति परमं पदम्
The fruit a mortal gains here is ten times greater than elsewhere; thus, O King, has the greatness of Madhyameśvara been declared; whoever listens with supreme devotion attains the highest state.
इति श्रीपाद्मे महापुराणे स्वर्गखंडे वाराणसीमाहात्म्ये षट्त्रिंशोऽध्यायः
Thus ends the thirty-sixth chapter, 'The Greatness of Vārāṇasī,' in the Svarga-khaṇḍa of the glorious Padma Purāṇa.
नारद उवाच-। अन्यानि च महाराज तीर्थानि पावनानि तु । वाराणस्यां स्थितानीह संशृणुष्व युधिष्ठिर
Nārada said: O King, listen as I recount to you, Yudhiṣṭhira, the other holy and purifying sacred places situated here in Vārāṇasī.
प्रयागादधिकं तीर्थं प्रयागं परमं शुभम् । विश्वरूपं तथा तीर्थं तालतीर्थमनुत्तमम्
There is a sacred place superior to Prayāga, the supremely auspicious Prayāga itself, and also the Viśvarūpa tīrtha, the matchless Tāla tīrtha—
आकाशाख्यं महातीर्थं तीर्थं चैवार्षभं परम् । सुनीलं च महातीर्थं गौरीतीर्थमनुत्तमम्
The great tīrtha called Ākāśa, the excellent Ṛṣabha tīrtha, the great Sunīla tīrtha, and the incomparable Gaurī tīrtha—