Shloka 56

The Greatness of Kāśī (Kāśī-māhātmya) and Avimukta’s Liberative Power

Devanagari script

तच्चित्तास्तद्गतप्राणा जीवन्मुक्ता न संशयः । अग्रिप्रवेशं ये कुर्युरविमुक्ते विचारतः ॥ ५६ ॥

Transliteration

taccittāstadgataprāṇā jīvanmuktā na saṃśayaḥ | agripraveśaṃ ye kuryuravimukte vicārataḥ || 56 ||

Translation

Those whose minds are fixed on That, the Supreme, and whose life-breath is absorbed in That are liberated while still living (jīvanmukta)—of this there is no doubt. And those who, after due discernment, enter the fire in Avimukta attain that very state.

Word by Word

• तत्-चित्ताः: whose minds are fixed on Him
• तत्-चित्ताः: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + चित्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (तस्मिन् चित्तं येषाम् / तद्विषयकचित्ताः); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; nominative plural

• तत्-गत-प्राणाः: whose life-breath is absorbed in Him
• तत्-गत-प्राणाः: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + गत (कृदन्त) + प्राण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (तस्मिन् गताः प्राणाः येषाम्); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; nominative plural

• जीवत्-मुक्ताः: liberated while living
• जीवत्-मुक्ताः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जीवत् (कृदन्त/विशेषण) + मुक्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास (जीवन् एव मुक्तः); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; nominative plural

• न: no
• न: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध) / Negation
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय; negation particle

• संशयः: doubt
• संशयः: Karta (कर्ता) (of implied “is”)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संशय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; nominative singular (idiom: “no doubt”)

• अग्नि-प्रवेशम्: entry into fire
• अग्नि-प्रवेशम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रवेश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (अग्नौ प्रवेशः); पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; accusative singular

• ये: who
• ये: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; relative pronoun

• कुर्युः: would perform
• कुर्युः: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; “should do / would do”

• अविमुक्ते: in Avimukta
• अविमुक्ते: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अविमुक्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन; locative singular

• विचारतः: deliberately, after reflection
• विचारतः: Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विचार (प्रातिपदिक) + तस् (तद्धित, अव्यय)
• Form: तद्धितान्त-अव्यय (तस्); हेतौ/प्रकारे अव्यय; “after consideration / deliberately”

Speaker

Suta (narrating the Avimukta-mahātmya within the Uttara-Bhaga tradition)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: bhakti

Characters & Entities

• Avimukta (Kashi)
• Agni

FAQs

What is the spiritual significance of this verse in Narada Purana?

It declares that unwavering absorption of mind and prāṇa in the Supreme brings jīvanmukti, and it presents Avimukta (Kāśī) as a uniquely potent setting where deliberate, discerned renunciation even unto fire-entry is linked with liberation.

How does this verse explain the path of devotion (Bhakti)?

Although framed in jñāna-language (“That”), the practice is bhakti-like single-pointedness: fixing the mind and life-force on the Lord/Supreme without distraction, which the Purāṇic tradition treats as the essence of surrender leading to freedom.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

The verse emphasizes vicāra (discernment) before any extreme act, aligning with Dharma-śāstra reasoning and ritual propriety rather than a technical Vedāṅga like Jyotiṣa or Vyākaraṇa; the practical takeaway is that sacred acts in tīrthas must be guided by informed deliberation.