Shloka 28
The Greatness of Kāśī (Kāśī-māhātmya) and Avimukta’s Liberative Power
हरोऽनुकंपया सर्वान्नयत्याशु परां गतिम् । क्षेत्रमध्याद्यदा गंगा संगता सरितां पतिम् ॥ २८ ॥
haro'nukaṃpayā sarvānnayatyāśu parāṃ gatim | kṣetramadhyādyadā gaṃgā saṃgatā saritāṃ patim || 28 ||
Out of compassion, Hara (Śiva) swiftly leads all beings to the supreme state, when, from the very heart of the sacred field, the Gaṅgā meets the lord of rivers (the ocean).
Suta (narrating Purāṇic teaching on Tīrtha-māhātmya, as transmitted in the Narada Purana tradition)
Vrata: none
Primary Rasa: bhakti
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
FAQs
It teaches that at a powerful tīrtha—where Gaṅgā joins the ‘lord of rivers’—Śiva’s compassion becomes a direct cause for rapid elevation toward the highest spiritual goal (parā gati), emphasizing the liberating potency of sacred geography (kṣetra-māhātmya).
By highlighting Hara’s anukampā (grace), the verse frames liberation not merely as effort-based merit but as grace received through reverent approach to a holy place and heartfelt devotion—typical of Purāṇic bhakti where the deity’s compassion completes the seeker’s journey.
Primarily Kalpa in the Purāṇic sense: the practical rule that tīrtha-sevā (pilgrimage, snāna, and worship at a sangama/kṣetra) yields specific spiritual results; the verse encodes a ritual-practice takeaway rather than grammar or astrology.