Shloka 48
यत्तत्परतरं तत्त्वमविमुक्तमिति श्रुतम् । एकेन जन्मना देवि वाराणस्यां तदाप्नुयात्
yattatparataraṃ tattvamavimuktamiti śrutam | ekena janmanā devi vārāṇasyāṃ tadāpnuyāt
تلك الحقيقةُ العُليا التي يُسمَع أنّها تُدعى «أفيمُكتا»—أي التي لا تُهجر أبداً—تُنال، يا إلهة، في فاراناسي في حياةٍ واحدة.
Mahādeva (Śiva), addressing Devī (Pārvatī)
Concept: A supremely sanctified kṣetra can accelerate realization of the highest tattva (Avimukta) within one embodied life.
Application: Cultivate ‘Avimukta-bhāva’ daily: remember Nārāyaṇa at dawn/dusk, keep a tīrtha-intention (pilgrimage, charity, japa), and treat sacred space/time as catalysts for inner transformation.
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Type: city
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Śiva, serene and ash-smeared, speaks to Pārvatī on a lotus-strewn terrace overlooking Kāśī’s ghāṭas. In the distance, the city glows as ‘Avimukta’—a haloed mandala where the supreme Reality seems palpably present, drawing pilgrims like moths to a lamp.","primary_figures":["Mahādeva (Śiva)","Devī (Pārvatī)","Pilgrims","Subtle presence of Nārāyaṇa as radiant aura"],"setting":"Kāśī ghāṭa panorama with temple spires, steps descending to the river, incense smoke, and distant bells","lighting_mood":"divine radiance","color_palette":["saffron gold","ash white","deep indigo","lotus pink","copper bronze"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: Śiva instructing Pārvatī with Kāśī’s ghāṭas behind, heavy gold leaf halo around both, ornate temple towers, gem-studded jewelry, rich vermilion and emerald accents, embossed gold patterns suggesting ‘Avimukta’ as a sacred mandala over the city.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: intimate dialogue of Śiva and Pārvatī on a terrace, delicate linework, cool twilight over the riverfront, layered ghāṭa steps, soft mist, refined faces, subtle luminous aura marking Avimukta’s sanctity.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold outlined Śiva and Pārvatī, stylized Kāśī skyline and ghāṭas, flat yet vibrant natural pigments, large expressive eyes, rhythmic patterns of smoke and bells, sacred aura rendered as concentric bands.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: Kāśī as a lotus-city mandala, ornate floral borders, ghāṭa steps patterned like petals, peacocks and lotuses framing the scene, central radiant emblem hinting Nārāyaṇa’s presence, deep blues with gold highlights."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"devotional","suggested_raga":"Yaman","pace":"slow-meditative","voice_tone":"reverent-soft","sound_elements":["temple bells","conch shell","flowing water","distant chanting","incense crackle"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: yattatparataraṃ → yat tat parataraṃ; tattvamavimuktamiti → tattvam avimuktam iti; tadāpnuyāt → tat āpnuyāt
FAQs
“Avimukta” is presented as the supreme sacred reality/region that is ‘never abandoned’—traditionally associated with Kāśī (Vārāṇasī) as a place of liberation where divine presence is constant.
The verse elevates Vārāṇasī as a uniquely potent tīrtha where the highest truth (Avimukta) is said to be attainable, even within a single lifetime.
It teaches that proximity to a sanctified locus of practice and divine presence—here identified with Kāśī—can accelerate realization of the highest reality, highlighting the transformative power of tīrtha and devotion.