Shloka 183

अविमुक्तक्षेत्रमाहात्म्य — काशी-वाराणसी में मोक्ष, लिङ्ग-तीर्थ-मानचित्र, और उपासना-विधि

Devanagari script

तत्फलं समवाप्नोति वाराणस्यां यथा मृतः तथैव मम सायुज्यं लभते नात्र संशयः

Transliteration

tatphalaṃ samavāpnoti vārāṇasyāṃ yathā mṛtaḥ tathaiva mama sāyujyaṃ labhate nātra saṃśayaḥ

Translation

He attains that very fruit—just as one who dies in Vārāṇasī does. In the same way, he gains union (sāyujya) with Me; of this there is no doubt.

Word by Word

• तत्फलम्: that fruit/result

• समवाप्नोति: fully attains/obtains

• वाराणस्याम्: in Vārāṇasī (Kāśī)

• यथा: just as

• मृतः: (one who has) died

• तथैव: so indeed/in the same manner

• मम: with Me/of Me

• सायुज्यम्: sāyujya, intimate union/identity in liberation

• लभते: obtains

• न: not

• अत्र: here/in this matter

• संशयः: doubt

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating the Linga Purana teaching to the sages of Naimisharanya, conveying Shiva’s assurance of liberation-fruit)

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Varanasi (Kashi)

FAQs

What is the importance of this verse in the context of Linga worship?

It declares the phala (spiritual result) of Shiva-oriented devotion/observance as equal to the famed merit of dying in Kāśī—culminating in Shiva’s sāyujya, emphasizing that Linga-centered bhakti leads to liberation by the Lord’s grace.

How does this verse describe the nature of Shiva (Shiva-tattva)?

Shiva is presented as Pati—the sovereign giver of mokṣa—who bestows sāyujya (liberative union) through anugraha, removing pāśa (bondage) from the paśu (individual soul).

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

Rather than a specific technique, it highlights the grace-fruit (phala) of steadfast Shiva-bhakti and Shaiva observance—whose culmination is sāyujya-mukti, comparable to Kāśī-maraṇa’s salvific renown.