Shloka 10
अविमुक्तक्षेत्रमाहात्म्य
The Greatness of Avimukta–Vārāṇasī and Viśveśvara
रोचते मे सदा वासो वाराणस्यां महेश्वरि । हेतुना येन सर्वाणि विहाय शृणु तद्ध्रुवम्
rocate me sadā vāso vārāṇasyāṃ maheśvari | hetunā yena sarvāṇi vihāya śṛṇu taddhruvam
O Maheshvarī, das Wohnen in Vārāṇasī erfreut Mich stets. Höre mit Gewissheit den Grund, weshalb Ich, alles andere beiseitelassend, diese Wohnstatt erwähle.
Lord Shiva
Tattva Level: pati
Shiva Form: Umāpati
Jyotirlinga: Viśvanātha
Sthala Purana: Śiva, addressing Mahēśvarī, states His perpetual delight in dwelling at Vārāṇasī and promises to disclose the decisive reason—setting up the doctrinal basis for Avimukta’s unique salvific status.
Significance: Hearing the ‘reason’ for Śiva’s preference for Kāśī is itself framed as spiritually efficacious, strengthening śraddhā in Kāśī-vāsa and Viśveśvara worship.
Shakti Form: Umā
Role: nurturing
FAQs
This verse highlights Kāśī (Vārāṇasī) as a uniquely Shiva-saturated kṣetra where the Lord’s presence is especially accessible; it points to the Shaiva Siddhanta emphasis on Śiva’s grace (anugraha) as the decisive cause for upliftment and liberation.
In the Kotirudrasaṃhitā’s Jyotirlinga context, Shiva’s delight in Vārāṇasī supports Saguna worship through the Linga—devotees approach the formless Supreme via the manifest sign (liṅga) in a consecrated kṣetra where devotion and surrender are intensified.
The practical takeaway is kṣetra-smaraṇa and Linga-bhakti: pilgrimage or inward remembrance of Kāśī, worship of Śiva-liṅga with mantra-japa (especially the Panchakshara, “Om Namaḥ Śivāya”), and steady devotion that prioritizes Shiva above all else.