Matsya Purana 181: adhyāyaḥ 181

181.1

vārāṇasīsthakṣetramāhātmyam.
sūta uvāca.
imāṃ puṇyodbhavāṃ snigdhāṃ kathāṃ pāpapraṇāśinīm.
śrṛṇvantu ṛṣyaḥ sarve suviśuddhāstapodhanāḥ .. 181.1 ..

Sûta said—"Hear you, O, pure souled holy Rıṣis! with attention, this righteous narration which is the dispeller of all ills, and the mother of all good merits.—1

181.2

gaṇeśvarapatiṃ divyaṃ rudratulyaparākramam.
sanatkumāro bhagavānapṛcchannandikeśvaram .. 181.2 ..

Once upon a time, Bhagavân Sanat-Kumâra asked Nandikeśvara — the Lord of the ganas and as powerful as Rudra — 2

181.3

bruhi guhyaṃ yathā tattvaṃ yatra nityaṃ bhava sthitaḥ.
māhātmyaṃ sarvabhūtānāṃ paramātmā maheśvaraḥ.. 181.3 ..

He can assume terrible forms that the Devas and Dânavas cannot assume And in this terrible form He remains firm and stable, like a pillar, till Pralaya He asked — "Now kindly describe to me the sacred places, where Maheśvara always resides—this great mystery of all"— 3-4

181.4

ghorarūpaṃ samāsthāya duṣkaraṃ devadānavaiḥ.
ābhūtasaṃplavaṃ yāvat sthāṇubhūto maheśvaraḥ .. 180.4 ..

181.5

nandikeśvara uvāca.
purā devena yatproktaṃ purāṇaṃ puṇyamuttam.
tatsarvaṃ saṃpravakṣyāmi namaskṛtya maheśvaram .. 180.5 ..

Nandikeśvara said — "I shall relate to you, after saluting, the Lord the most ancient event which Mahâdeva Himself narrated first — 5

181.6

tato devena tuṣṭena umāyāḥ priyakāmyayā.
kathitaṃ bhuvi vikhyātaṃ yatra nityaṃ svayaṃ sthitaḥ .. 180.6 ..

The Lord narrated it first to Parvati, for Her satisfaction, and afterwards it spread over the universe — 6

181.7

rudrasyārdhāsanagatā meruśrṛṅge yaśasvinī.
mahādevaṃ tato devī praṇatā paripṛcchati .. 180.7 ..

Sometime ago the illustrious Consort of Śiva—Pârvati—on the summit of the Mount Meru, asked the Lord after making salutations to Him — 7

181.8

bhagavan! devadeveśa! candrārddhakṛtaśekhara!.
dharmaṃ prabrūhi martyānāṃ bhuvi caivordhvaretasām .. 180.8 ..

"O Bhagavân! O Lord of the Devas! O one with crescent of the Moon in His forehead! Pray explain to me the duties of those men, living in the world, as well as of those, who have subdued their passions How do the charities, sacrifices well practised asceticism, meditations and recitations give everlasting fruits? And how are the sins of ages thereby destroyed? What are the ways, ordinances and duties and sadâchâras, by the observance of which you remaining there, become pleased with your Bhaktas and grant imperishable position to them? Pray explain all these to me, for I am very curious to know all these"— 8 12

181.9

japtaṃ dattaṃ hutaṃ ceṣṭaṃ tapastaptaṃ kṛta़ñca yat.
dhyānādhyayanasampannaṃ kathaṃ bhavati cākṣayam .. 180.9 ..

181.10

janmāntarasahasreṇa yatpāpaṃ pūrvasañcitam.
kathaṃ tatkṣayamāyāti tanmamācakṣva śaṅkara .. 180.10 ..

181.11

yasmin vyavasthito bhaktyā tuṣyase parameśvara!.
vratāni niyamāścaiva ācāro dharma eva ca .. 180.11 ..

181.12

sarvasiddhikaraṃ yatra hyakṣayya gatidāyakam.
vaktumarhasi tatsarvaṃ paraṃ kautūhalaṃ hi me .. 180.12 ..

181.13

maheśvara uvāca.
śrṛṇu devi! pravakṣyāmi guhyānāṃ guhyamuttamam ..
sarvakṣetreṣu vikhyātamavimuktaṃ priye mama .. 180.13 ..

Mahâdeva said — "O Devi! Hear with attention I shall relate to you the glory of the avimuktatîrtha, which is the best among all the sacred places and so dear and near to me I am telling you a great secret Sixty eight sacred places have been already described, and the one where Rudra is Omnipresent and never absent from there is called the avimuktatîrtha and is the first best of all the rest I never forsake avimuktakṣettra (Kâśi), hence it is called Avimukta Kṣettra Emancipation is readily obtainable here, and the charities, meditations, sacrifices, recitations and other similar deeds performed there beget everlasting benefits, and the sins of thousands of ages are destroyed the moment one enters the sacred place The sins are consumed like cotton in the fire — 13 18

181.14

aṣṭaṣaṣṭiḥ purā proktā sthānānāṃ sthānamuttamam.
yatra sākṣāt svayaṃ rudraḥ kṛttivāsāḥ svayaṃ sthitaḥ .. 180.14 ..

181.15

yatra sannihito nityamavimukte nirantaram.
tatkṣetraṃ na mayā muktamavimuktaṃ tataḥ smṛtam.. 180.15 ..

181.16

avimukte parā siddhiravimukte parā gatiḥ.
japtaṃ dattaṃ hutaṃ ceṣṭaṃ tapastaptaṃ kṛtaṃ ca yat .. 180.16 ..

181.17

dhyānamadhyayanaṃ dānaṃ sarvaṃ bhavati cākṣayam.
janmāntarasahasreṇa yatpāpaṃ pūrvasañcitam .. 180.17 ..

181.18

avimuktaṃ praviṣṭasya tatsarvaṃ vrajati kṣayam.
avimuktāgninā dagdhamagnau tūlamivāhitam .. 180.18 ..

181.19

brāhmaṇāḥ kṣatriyāḥ vaiśyāḥ śūdrā vai varṇasaṅkarāḥ.
kṛmimlecchāśca ye cānye saṅkīrṇāḥ pāpayonayaḥ .. 180.19 ..

O Devi! the Brâhmanas, Kṣatriyas, Vaiśyas Śûdras, bastards, sinners, animals, insects flies, deer, birds Mlechhas dying in course of time in avimuktatîrtha go to My realm (of Śiva) and become Rudras, who wear a crescent on their forehead, and get eyes on their foreheads, and become like Me — 19 21

181.20

kīṭāḥ pipīlikāścaiva ye cānye mṛgapakṣiṇaḥ.
kālena nidhanaṃ prāptā avimukte śṛṇu priye! .. 180.20 ..

181.21

candrārddhamaulinaḥ sarve lalāṭākṣā vṛṣadhvajāḥ.
śive mama pure devi! jāyante tatra mānavāḥ .. 180.21 ..

181.22

akāmo vā sakāmo vā hyapi tiryaggato'pi vā.
avimukte tyajan prāṇān mama loke mahīyate .. 180.22 ..

Whether they aspire or not, but in every case they attain My realm, by dying in avimukta, no matter whether they be men or lower animals — 22

181.23

avimuktaṃ yadāgacchet kadācit kālaparyayāt.
aśmanā caraṇau baddhvā tatraiva nidhanaṃ vrajet .. 180.23 ..

Far better it is for one when he goes to Kâśi, to fix himself down to the earth, by tying a piece of stone on his legs, and never leave this place, and thereby enable him to go to My realm — 23 24

181.24

avimuktaṃ gato devi! na nirgacchet tataḥ punaḥ.
so'pibatpadamāpnoti baddhvā tatraiva nidhanaṃ vrajet .. 180.24 ..

181.25

avimuktaṃ gato devi! na nirgacchet tataḥ punaḥ.
so'pibatpadamāpnoti nātra karyā vicāraṇā .. 180.25 ..

He who never goes out of the precincts of Kâśi, attains My realm, there is no doubt in this Vasraprada, Rudrakoṭi, Sidheśvara, Gokarna, Rudrakarṇa, Suvarṇâkṣa, Amara, Mahâkâla and Kâyâvarohana, are all sanctified places, and I am present at all those places, in both the morning and evening Sandhyâs—25-26

181.26

amarañca mahākālaṃ tathā kāyāvarohaṇam.
etāni hi pavitrāṇi sānnidhyāt sandhyayordvayoḥ .. 180.26 ..

181.27

kāliñjaravanañcaiva śaṅkukarṇaṃ sthaleśvaram.
etāni ca pavitrāṇi sānnidhyāddhi mama priye
avimukte varārohe! trisandhyaṃ nātra saṃśayaḥ .. 180.27 ..

Besides them, the Kâlanjaravana, Śaṅkukarṇa, Sthaleśvara, are all sanctified by my presence, but Dear! My presence in Avimukta is undoubtedly on all the occasions. Besides these Hariśchandra Tîrtha, Âmrâtakeśvara, Jaleśvara, Śrîparvata are also most sacred. They all are mysterious and secret.—27-28

181.28

iriścandraṃ paraṃ guhyaṃ guhyamāmrātakeśvaram.
jaleśvaraṃ paraṃ guhyaṃ guhyaṃ śrīparvataṃ tathā .. 180.28 ..

181.29

mahālayaṃ tathā guhyaṃ kṛmicaṇḍeśvaraṃ śubham.
guhyātiguhyaṃ kedāraṃ mahābhairavameva ca .. 180.29 ..

Mahâlaya, Kṛmichandeśvara, Kedâranath, Mahâbhairava, are also highly sacred As I am present at the aforementioned eight places always. Thus I am present at Avimukta at all times.—29-30

181.30

aṣṭāvetāni sthānāni sānnidhyāddhi mama priye!.
avimukte varārohe! trisandhyaṃ nātra saṃśayaḥ .. 180.30 ..

181.31

yāni sthānāni śrūyante triṣu lokeṣu suvrate!.
avimuktasya pādeṣu nityaṃ sannihitāni vai .. 180.31 ..

Dear! the other sacred places that exist in the three Lokas always remain at the feet of Avimukta. Your son, Svâmî Kârtika will relate the glory of Avimukta and the glories of the Ṛiṣis, who will come in future." —31-32

181.32

athottarāṃ kathāṃ divyāmavimuktasya śobhane.
skando vakṣyati māhātmyamṛṣīṇāṃ bhāvitātmanām .. 180.32 ..