History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v5.c74.t2.152.1

v5.c74.t2.152.1

It appears that Vācaspati1449a holds that Avimukteśvara lınga is the same as Viśvanātha, but both the Tristhalī-setu (p 296) and Tīr. Pr. (p. 187) reject this idea. The Skandapurāṇa (Kāsī. 10. 93) mentions Viśveśvara and Avimukteśvara as separate *lingas*. Besides worshipping Viśvanātha, every pilgrim to Benares has to visit the five tīrthas¹⁴⁵⁰ (Pañcatīrthī). According to the Matsyapurāṇa the five essential tīrthas in the Ānandakānana of Viśveśvara are Daśāśvamedha, Lolārka,1450a Keśava, Bindumādhava and Maṇikarṇikā.¹⁴⁵¹ In modern times the five essential tīrthas called Pañcatīrthī are the confluence of the Asi with the Ganges, the Daśāśvamedha *ghāṭ*, Maṇikarṇikā, the Pañcagaṅgā *ghāṭ* and the confluence of the river Varaṇā (called Bārnā by the common people) with the Ganges. This is based on the Kāśīkhaṇḍa.¹⁴⁵² The shrine of Lolārka is situated at the confluence of the Asi (the southern boundary of Banaras) with the Ganges. The Kāśīkhaṇḍa ¹⁴⁵³ furnishes a popular etymology for the name Lolārka, viz. that the mind of the Sun on seeing Kāśī became agitated. The Asi is a tolerably wide stream (about 40 feet) in the rainy season, but is dry at other times. The several gigantic ghats with their flights of stone steps are a grand sight at Banaras. The Ganges while passing by Banaras takes a great sweep so that its mighty current flows in a northerly direction (that is towards the Himālaya) and is therefore held to be peculiarly holy here.