History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v5.c74.t2.108

v5.c74.t2.108

A few words must be said about the derivation and significance of these words as gathered from the Purāṇas and other works. And first comes Kāśī. It is derived from the root *kāś* 'to shine.' The Skandapurāṇa¹⁴¹⁸ says that the city of Kāśī became famous by that name because it sheds light on (the way to) nirvāṇa (final release) or because that indescribable refulgence, viz. God Śiva shines forth there. The name Vārāṇasī is derived in several Purāṇas from the names of two streams Varaṇā¹⁴¹⁹ (modern Bārnā) and Asi, which are respectively the northern and southern boundaries of the modern city. From the passages quoted below from the Skandapurāṇa (Kāśī-khaṇḍa) it appears that Asi is the correct form of the name of the river. The names most frequently used in the Purāṇas are Vārāṇasī and Avimukta. In the Jābālopaniṣad¹⁴²⁰ the words Avimukta, Varaṇā and Nāsī are brought together in an esoteric sense. "Atri asked Yājñavalkya: how is one to know the unmanifested Self? Yājñavalkya explained that he was to be worshipped in Avimukta, since the self is centered in Avimukta. Then a question was asked: in what is Avimukta centered or established? The reply is that Avimukta is established in the midst of Varaṇā and Nāsī. Varaṇā is so called because it wards off all faults due to the senses and Nāsī destroys all sins due to the senses. Then a question is asked, what is its location (sthāna)? The reply is that it is the conjunction of the eyebrows and the nose i. e. the upāsanā (contemplation) of Avimukta is to be made as located in the span between the eyebrows and the root of the nose." Here it will be seen that Varaṇā and Nāsī are the names (and not Varaṇā and Asi). The Vāmanapurāṇa employs the form Asi (15.50-53). The same is the case with the Padma.