येन लब्धा पुरी काशी त्रैलोक्योद्धरणक्षमा
He who has obtained the city of Kāśī, capable of rescuing the three worlds—
कुपितोपि हि मे रुद्रस्तेजोहानिं विधास्यति
Even if Rudra is angered at me, he will only diminish my brilliance.
इतराणीह तेजांसि भासंते तावदेव हि
Other powers here shine only for as long as—
इति काशीप्रभावज्ञो जगच्चक्षुस्तमोनुदः
Thus, knowing the glory of Kāśī, the remover of the world’s darkness, the eye of the universe—
लोलार्क उत्तरार्कश्च सांबादित्यस्तथैव च
Lolārka, Uttarārka, and also Sāmbāditya—
खखोल्कश्चारुणादित्यो वृद्धकेशवसंज्ञकौ
Khakholka, Āruṇāditya, and the two known as Vṛddha and Keśava—
द्वादशश्च यमादित्यः काशिपुर्यां घटोद्भव
And the twelfth, Yamāditya, who arose from a pot in Kāśī city.
तस्यार्कस्य मनोलोलं यदासीत्काशिदर्शने
Of that Sun, whose mind was restless, when he appeared in Kāśī—
लोलार्कस्त्वसिसंभेदे दक्षिणस्यां दिशिस्थितः
Lolārka stands at the meeting of the swords, situated in the southern direction.
मार्गशीर्षस्य सप्तम्यां षष्ठ्यां वा रविवासरे 4.1.46.
On the seventh or sixth day of the bright half of Mārgaśīrṣa, on a Sunday—
कृतानि यानि पापानि नरैः संवत्सरावधि
Whatever sins have been committed by men over the course of a year—
नरः स्नात्वासिसंभेदे संतर्प्य पितृदेवताः
A man, after bathing at the meeting of the swords and offering libations to ancestors and deities—
लोलार्कसंगमे स्नात्वा दानं होमं सुरार्चनम्
Having bathed at the confluence of Lolārka, giving gifts, performing oblations, and worshipping the gods—
सूर्योपरागे लोलार्के स्नानदानादिकाः क्रियाः
At the eclipse of the Sun at Lolārka, acts such as bathing and giving gifts—
लोलार्के रथसप्तम्यां स्नात्वा गंगासिसंगमे
Bathing at Lolārka on the Rathasaptamī, at the confluence of the Gaṅgā and the swords—
प्रत्यर्कवारं लोलार्कं यः पश्यति शुचिव्रतः
Whoever, observing pure vows, beholds Lolārka on every Sunday—
न तस्य दुःखं नो पामा न दद्रुर्न विचर्चिका
For him there is no suffering, nor skin disease, nor leprosy, nor eczema.
वाराणस्यामुषित्वापि यो लोलार्कं न सेवते
Even one who dwells in Vārāṇasī but does not serve Lolārka—
सर्वेषां काशितीर्थानां लोलार्कः प्रथमं शिरः
Among all the sacred places of Kāśī, Lolārka is foremost.
तीर्थांतराणि सर्वाणि भूमीवलयगान्यपि 4.1.46.
All other sacred places, even those encircling the earth—
सर्वेषामेव तीर्थानां स्नानाद्यल्लभ्यते फलम्
The fruit obtained from bathing and other rites at all sacred places—
नार्थवादोयमुदितः स्तुतिवादो न वै मुने
This is not mere praise or exaggeration, O sage.
यत्र विश्वेश्वरः साक्षाद्यत्र स्वर्गतरंगिणी
Where the Lord of all, Viśveśvara, is directly present, and where the heavenly river flows—
उदाहरंति ये मूढाः कुतर्कबलदर्पिताः
Those fools, puffed up by the force of false reasoning, who cite examples—
कस्यचित्काशितीर्थस्य महिम्नो महतस्तुलाम्
—of the greatness of some other holy place, to compare with the immense glory of Kāśī—
नास्तिका वेदबाह्याश्च शिश्नोदरपरायणाः
Are atheists, outsiders to the Veda, devoted only to the pursuits of the senses and the belly.
लोलार्ककरनिष्टप्ता असिधार विखंडिताः
Burned by the fierce rays of the sun, cut by the edge of a sword—
महिमानमिमं श्रुत्वा लोलार्कस्य नरोत्तमः
Hearing this greatness of the fierce sun, O best of men—
तत्र नाम्नोत्तरार्केण रश्मिमाली व्यवस्थितः
There, by the name Uttarārka, the radiant one is established.
तापयन्दुःखसंघातं साधूनाप्याययन्रविः
The sun, bringing together the mass of suffering from heat, also nourished the virtuous.