Shloka 13
The Greatness of Kāśī (Kāśī-māhātmya) and Avimukta’s Liberative Power
वाराणसी तु भुवनत्रयसारभूता रम्या नृणां सुगतिदा किल सेव्यमाना । अत्रागता विविधदुष्कृतकारिणोऽपि पापक्षये विरजसः सुमनः प्रकाशाः ॥ १३ ॥
vārāṇasī tu bhuvanatrayasārabhūtā ramyā nṛṇāṃ sugatidā kila sevyamānā | atrāgatā vividhaduṣkṛtakāriṇo'pi pāpakṣaye virajasaḥ sumanaḥ prakāśāḥ || 13 ||
Varanasi is indeed the very essence of the three worlds—delightful; and when revered and served, it grants human beings a blessed destiny. Even those who have committed many kinds of evil deeds, upon coming here, become stainless as their sins are destroyed, their minds shining with purity and clarity.
Narada (teaching in the Uttara-Bhaga context on Tirtha-Mahatmya, especially Kāśī/Varanasi)
Vrata: none
Primary Rasa: shanta (peace)
Secondary Rasa: karuna (compassion)
FAQs
The verse declares Kāśī (Vārāṇasī) as the “essence of the three worlds,” teaching that sincere approach, reverence, and tirtha-sevā there leads to papa-kṣaya (destruction of sin) and an inner transformation marked by purity and a luminous mind—thereby granting sugati (a blessed spiritual end).
Bhakti is implied through “sevyamānā” (being served/revered): approaching the tirtha with devotion, humility, and worshipful service becomes the means by which grace and purification arise, turning even heavily burdened lives toward purity and a higher spiritual destiny.
No specific Vedanga (like Vyākaraṇa, Jyotiṣa, or Kalpa) is taught directly in this verse; the practical takeaway is tirtha-dharma: the discipline of pilgrimage, reverential conduct, and worship (sevā) as a purifying practice emphasized in Narada Purana’s tirtha-mahātmyas.