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Visveswara was the
destructive of all sins. That which is seen as the substantive, as an entity
in the form of knowledge and bliss, eternal and free from aberrations,
desired for a second. That second, of the tree of salvation, was possessed
of attributes. It is named Siva. That split itself into two, the male and
the female forms. The male is known as Siva and the female Sakti. The unseen
Cit and Ananda created Prakriti and Purusa. On seeing their parents,
Prakriti and Purusa were plunged in doubt. Then a voice aroused from the
great attribute less Atman – “Penance shall be pursued by them for the
generation of excellent creation. Prakriti and Purusa replied to Siva that
there was no place to sit and perform penance at His behest. Then a
beautiful city endowed with the requisite articles, auspicious essence of
brilliance extending to five Krosas, appeared, which was created and
established by Siva, devoid of attributes, in the firmament near the Purusa.
Occupying it with a desire for creation and meditating, Vishnu performed the
penance for a long time. Due to his exertion, various currents of water
began to flow. Vishnu liked the wonderful sight. Then a jewel fell in front
from the ear of the lord. It became a great holy center named Manikarnika.
When the holy center extending to five krosas began to float on the waters,
Siva supported it on Trident, devoid of attributes. Vishnu slept there
itself along his consort Prakriti. At the behest of Siva, Brahma was born of
his umbilical lotus. At the behest of Siva, he evolved a wonderful creation.
The fourteen worlds were created in the Cosmic Egg, the extension of Cosmic
Egg was fifty crore of Yojanas as glorified by the sages. Siva released the
holy center of Pancakrosi so that the beings in the cosmic egg, bound by
action attain him. This Kasi is the bestower of auspiciousness in the world.
It is destructive of action. It illuminates salvation. It is the bestower of
knowledge. The great Siva himself installs the phallic image Avimukta. That
holy center could never be abandoned; this was the blessing of lord Siva.
After saying this, Siva himself brought Kasika from his Trident and released
it in the mortal world. At the close of the day of Brahma (when all other
objects perish) it certainly would not perish. Siva upholds it by means of
his Trident. When Brahma resumed the creation again, it would be replaced.
It is called Kasi because it pulls out or destroys our actions. The phallic
image Avimuktesvara stays in Kasi always, yielding salvation to the people
including even the great sinners. Sarupya and other types of salvations are
attained elsewhere. The excellent type of salvation Sayujya is attained
there itself. Of those who do not attain salvation anywhere, the city of
Varanasi is the resort. The meritous holy center Pancakrosi is destructive
of sins of crores of slaughter. The immortal gods too desire death there.
Thus this holy center yields worldly pleasures and salvation always. It is a
favourite resort of Siva. Brahma has praised this city. So also do the
Siddhas, yogins, sages and also the other people in the three worlds and
Vishnu too. The greatness of Kasi cannot be described in hundred years. The
lord of Kailasa, who is Sattvaic within and Tamasaic without, who is famous
in the name of Kalagni and who is the Supreme Being with and without
attributes spoke after making many obeisance. Rudras wanted god to stay
there for the benefit of the worlds. Avimukta, of suppressed and controlled
soul, shed tears from his eyes and imploring him again and again spoke to
Siva. He told Siva that he was the lord of all gods and three worlds. He was
worth of being worshipped by Brahma, Vishnu and others. They wanted lord to
establish his capital in the city of Kasi and decided to stay in meditation
for the sake of inconceivable pleasure.
Avimukta said Siva was alone the bestower of liberation and worldly desires.
For rendering help to people, Siva would stay there always along with Uma.
Thus requested by Visvanatha, Siva the sovereign ruler of all, stayed there
for rendering help to people. Kasi became the most excellent center for all
since Siva came to Kasi. Once the goddess Parvati asked Siva with great joy
about the greatness of the two Avimuktas – Kasi and Visveswara, out of
desire for the welfare of the worlds. Lord was happy to hear that from
Parvati. He said it was auspicious and pleasing for the people and continued
to explain the greatness of the two Avimuktas. He said, Varanasi was his
mysterious shrine. It was the cause of salvation for the people in every
respect. In that center, the Siddhas had always taken to His holy rites.
They hold different phallic images. Those who have conquered themselves and
controlled their sense organs pursue the great Pasupata Yoga, which is
explained in the Vedas, yielding worldly pleasures and salvation. The
residence in Varanasi was always appealing to him. Lord continued saying,
the two deserved liberation – the one who was his devotee and he who has
perfect knowledge. There was no dependence on the holy centers. They were to
be known as liberated souls, no matter where they would die. They would
surely attain salvation. He said there was a special thing about the holy
center Avimukta. People of all castes, of all stages of life, whether
children, youth or the aged, if they die in that city, they would be
undoubtedly liberated. Whether pure or impure, virgin or married, widow or
barren, suffering from menstrual disorders or defects or whether recently
delivered of a child, of whatever nature she may be, if she would die at
this holy center, she would attain salvation. There was no doubt in that.
The sweet-born, the egg born, the germinating ones and embryo-born these
living beings do not attain salvation elsewhere as they do at this place.
There was neither dependence of perfect knowledge nor that on devotion, and
holy rites or charitable gifts. There was no dependence on culture, nor that
on meditation at anytime, nor that on recitation of names, nor that on
adoration, nor that on noble nativity. Whoever may be the man who stayed in
the holy center, whatever may be the manner of his death, if he dies there,
he would certainly attain salvation. He further told that it was not even
known to Brahma and others. That holy center was known as Avimukta. It is
greater than Naimisa and all other holy centers yielding salvation to the
deceased. Truth is the esoteric doctrine of Dharma. Equanimity is the
esoteric doctrine of salvation. Learned men know Avimukta as the esoteric
doctrine of all shrines and holy centers. Any being, enjoying sleeping,
sporting or performing different activities, attains salvation if he casts
off his life at Avimukta.
It is better for men to become ghost after committing thousands of sins and
stay at Kasi than to attain heaven after performing a thousand sacrifices
but without going to the city of Kasi. Hence the people resort to Kasi with
every strenuous effort. The sages meditate on Sadasiva in the form of his
phallic image. No entanglement of actions binds those who caste off their
bodies here. Afterwards they realize complete identity with the godhead as
their goal. One who dies in this holy center does not get rebirth even if he
happens to be a person whose mind is drawn towards sensual pleasures or who
has eschewed interest in virtue. Among thousands of rebirth, a Yogin is born
there and if he dies there also, he attains the highest salvation. He told
Parvati that there were many phallic forms installed by his devotees. They
yield all desires and bestow salvation too. The holy center was glorified as
extending to five krosas in every one of the four directions all round. At
the time of death, it yields immortal beatitude. If a sinless man dies here,
he attains salvation immediately. If a sinner dies here, he assumes
multitudes of births. He attains salvation only after experiencing tortures.
One who commits sins in the holy center of Avimukta, experiences tortures at
the hands of Bhairava for ten thousand years and then attains salvation. A
man should therefore realize this and worship Avimukta. An action once
performed is never wasted even in hundreds of crores of Kalpas. Good or bad,
one must of necessity enjoy the fruit of one’s action. Exclusively
inauspicious action is contributory to hellish distress. Exclusively
auspicious action is conducive to the attainment of heaven. A mixture of two
is said to be resulting in human birth. The birth will be good or evil in
accordance with the predominance or deficiency of the one or the other. The
annihilation of good and evil is liberation. That was the truth, he told
Parvati. The action that caused bondage is said to be threefold as mentioned
in the Karmakanda section of the Vedas. It is Hoarded (Sancita), the current
(Kriyamana) and that which has started yielding results (Prarabdha). The
actions of the previous births are classified as hoarded. The action the
fruit of which is being experienced in the present birth is Prarabdha.
O goddess, whether good or bad the action performed in this birth is known
as Kriyamana. The annihilation of the Prarabdha Karma is only through
enjoyment and not otherwise. The destruction of the other two types is
possible only through worship alone. Except in Kasi, no other place can all
the actions be wiped off? The other holy centers are easily accessible but
the city of Kasi is difficult to access. If Kasi is visited with devotion in
the previous birth, the person in the present birth reaches Kasi and dies
there and not otherwise. If after reaching Kasi, a man takes his ceremonial
bath in the Ganges, the two types of actions, the current and the hoarded
are destroyed. It is certain that Prarabdha is not destroyed except through
enjoyment. If a man visits Kasi first and commits sins afterwards, the seed
of that action takes him again to Kasi. His sins are then reduced to ashes.
He told Parvati that if a single Brahmin is afforded shelter at Kasi, the
man who affords shelter and residence, gets the benefit of residence in Kasi
himself and thence he attains salvation. If a person dies in Kasi, he is
freed from rebirth. If a man dies at Prayaga, his desires for worldly
enjoyment and salvation are fulfilled. If both the desire for worldly
enjoyment and salvation are fulfilled at Prayaga, the fruit of salvation
derived from residence in Kasi is likely to be in vain. If only the fruit of
salvation is the goal, the fruits of Prayaga are likely to be in vain. These
things constitute the greatness of Kasi and Visvesvara yielding worldly
pleasures and salvation to the good. |
