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—
प्राजापत्यं तथा तीर्थं स्वर्गद्वारं तथैव च । जंबुकेश्वरमित्युक्तं धर्माख्यं तीर्थमुत्तमम्
Also the Prājāpatya tīrtha, the Svargadvāra tīrtha, the renowned Jaṃbukeśvara, and the excellent Dharma tīrtha—
गयातीर्थं परं तीर्थं तीर्थं चैव महानदी । नारायणपरं तीर्थं वायुतीर्थमनुत्तमम्
The supreme Gayā tīrtha, the tīrtha of the great river, the Nārāyaṇa tīrtha, and the matchless Vāyu tīrtha.
ज्ञानतीर्थं परं गुह्यं वाराहं तीर्थमुत्तमम् । यमतीर्थं यथापुण्यं तीर्थं संमूर्तिकं शुभम्
The sacred ford of knowledge, the supreme and secret, the excellent Varaha ford; the Yama ford, equal in merit, and the auspicious Sammurtika ford.
अग्नितीर्थं महाराज कलशेश्वरमुत्तमम् । नागतीर्थं सोमतीर्थं सूर्यतीर्थं तथैव च
The Agni ford, O great king, the excellent Kalaseshvara; the Naga ford, Soma ford, and likewise the Surya ford.
पर्वताख्यं महागुह्यं मणिकर्ण्यमनुत्तमम् । घटोत्कचं तीर्थवरं श्रीतीर्थं च पितामहम्
The Parvata-named, most secret, the unsurpassed Manikarnika; the excellent Ghatotkaca ford, and the Pitamaha, the holy ford.
गंगातीर्थं तु देवेशं ययातेस्तीर्थमुत्तमम् । कापिलं चैव सोमेशं ब्रह्मतीर्थमनुत्तमम्
The Ganga ford, the Lord of gods, the excellent ford of Yayati; also Kapila, Somesha, and the unsurpassed Brahma ford.
तत्र लिंगं पुराणीयं स्थातुं ब्रह्मा यथागतः । तदानीं स्थापयामास विष्णुस्तल्लिंगमैश्वरम्
There, the ancient linga was established as Brahma had come; then Vishnu installed that divine linga.
तत्र स्नात्वा समागम्य ब्रह्मा प्रोवाच तं हरिम् । मयानीतमिदं लिंगं कस्मात्स्थापितवानसि
There, after bathing and meeting together, Brahma spoke to Hari: 'This linga was brought by me—why have you installed it?'
तमाह विष्णुस्त्वत्तोऽपि रुद्रे भक्तिर्दृढा मम । तस्मात्प्रतिष्ठितं लिगं नाम्ना तव भविष्यति
Vishnu said to him: 'Even more than you, my devotion to Rudra is firm; therefore, this linga has been established and will bear your name.'
भूतेश्वरं तथा तीर्थं तीर्थं धर्मसमुद्भवम् । गंधर्वतीर्थं सुशुभं वाह्नेयं तीर्थमुत्तमम्
Bhuteshvara, and the ford born of dharma; the most auspicious Gandharva ford, and the excellent Vahneya ford.