मानुष्यं प्राप्य यं मूढा निमेषमितजीवितम्
Foolish are those who, having attained human birth—so brief as the blink of an eye—waste it.
दुर्लभं जन्म मानुष्यं दुर्लभा काशिकापुरी 4.2.94.
Human birth is hard to obtain, and the city of Kashi is even harder to attain.
क्व च तादृक्तपांसीह क्व तादृग्योग उत्तमः
Where else is there such a remover of sins here, or such supreme yoga?
सत्यं सत्यं पुनः सत्यं सत्यपूर्वं पुनःपुनः
Truly, truly, again and again, with truth as the foundation, I declare repeatedly—
विश्वेशो मुक्तिदो नित्यं मुक्त्यै चोत्तरवाहिनी
The Lord of the Universe is ever the giver of liberation, and the northern-flowing river grants liberation.
एक एव हि विश्वेशो मुक्तिदो नान्य एव हि
Indeed, the Lord of the Universe alone is the giver of liberation; there is truly no other.
सायुज्यमुक्तिरत्रैव सान्निध्यादिरथान्यतः
Union with the Divine is attained here alone; proximity and other forms elsewhere.
कृष्णद्वैपायनो व्यासोऽकथयद्यन्महद्वचः
Krishna Dvaipayana Vyasa has spoken this great teaching.
आश्चर्यभाजनं जातस्तीर्थानि कथयाधुना
Now, I shall recount the sacred fords that have become objects of wonder.
आनंदकानने यानि यत्र संति षडानन
Those that are in the Forest of Bliss, where the six-faced one resides.
यादृशः कथितो वच्मि तादृशं शृणु कुंभज
As they have been described, so I shall tell them—listen, O son of Kumbha.
तानि तानीह मे काश्यां तत्रतत्र वद प्रभो
Tell me, O Lord, of those sacred places here in Kashi, wherever they may be.
जलाशयेपि तीर्थाख्या जाता मूर्ति परिग्रहात्
Even in reservoirs of water, sacred fords have arisen due to the presence of divine forms.
मूर्तयो ब्रह्मविष्ण्वर्कशिवविघ्नेश्वरादिकाः
The forms are those of Brahma, Vishnu, the Sun, Shiva, Ganesha, and others.
वाराणस्यां महादेवः प्रथमं तीर्थमुच्यते
In Varanasi, Mahadeva is said to be the foremost sacred ford.
क्षेत्रपूर्वोत्तरेभागे तद्दृष्टं पशुपाशहृत्
It is seen in the northeastern part of the field, where the bonds of the beast are cut.
सा पूजिता प्रयत्नेन सुखवस्तिप्रदा सदा
That place, when worshipped with devotion, always bestows the happiness of good dwelling.
तद्दर्शनाद्भवेत्सम्यग्गोदानजनितं फलम् 4.2.97.
By beholding it, one obtains in full the merit that comes from gifting cows.
तद्दर्शनाद्भवेत्पुंसां फलं यज्ञसमुद्भवम्
From seeing that, a person attains the fruit arising from a sacrifice.
लिंगं दृष्ट्वा प्रयत्नेन वैष्णवं पदमृच्छति
By earnestly beholding the liṅga, one attains the Vaiṣṇava abode.
तस्य संपूजनान्मर्त्यो विज्वरो जायते क्षणात्
By worshipping it, a mortal instantly becomes free from illness.
वेदेश्वरादुदीच्यां तु क्षेत्रज्ञश्चादिकेशवः
In the north of Vedeśvara is the field-knower, the ancient Keśava.
संगमेश्वरमालोक्य तत्प्राच्याम जायतेनघः
Beholding Saṃgameśvara there, one is born sinless in the east.
प्रयागसंज्ञकम लिंगमर्चितम ब्रह्मलोकदम्
The liṅga named Prayāga, when worshipped, grants the world of Brahmā.
वरणायास्तटे पूर्वे पूज्यं कुंतीश्वरं नृभिः
On the eastern bank of Varaṇā, Kuntīśvara is to be worshipped by men.
कुंतीश्वरादुत्तरतस्तीर्थं वै कापिलो ह्रदः
North of Kuntīśvara is the holy place, the lake of Kāpila.
राजसूयस्य यज्ञस्य फलं त्वविकलं भवेत् 4.2.97.
There, one obtains the complete fruit of the Rājasūya sacrifice.
तत्र श्राद्धे कृते पुत्रैः पितृलोकं प्रयांति ते
When a śrāddha is performed there by sons, the fathers go to the world of the ancestors.
तद्दर्शनाद्भवेत्स्त्रीणां पातिव्रत्य फलं स्फुटम्
From seeing that, women attain the clear fruit of fidelity to their husbands.
यां सिद्धिं यः समीहेत स तामाप्नोति तन्नतेः
Whatever accomplishment one desires there, one attains that by bowing.