Shloka 16
दुन्दुभिनिर्ह्रादनिर्णयः / Dundubhinirhrāda’s Stratagem: Targeting the Brāhmaṇas
भूयसां ब्राह्मणानां तु स्थानं वाराणसी खलु । तामादावुपसंहृत्य यायां तीर्थांतरं ततः
bhūyasāṃ brāhmaṇānāṃ tu sthānaṃ vārāṇasī khalu | tāmādāvupasaṃhṛtya yāyāṃ tīrthāṃtaraṃ tataḥ
Indeed, Vārāṇasī (Kāśī) is the foremost abode of the great multitude of Brāhmaṇas. Having first gathered there and duly completed one’s observances, one should then proceed to other sacred tīrthas.
Suta Goswami
Tattva Level: pati
Shiva Form: Paśupatinātha
Jyotirlinga: Viśvanātha
Sthala Purana: Kāśī is proclaimed the foremost brāhmaṇa-sthāna; the verse implies a pilgrimage protocol: assemble in Kāśī first (as a spiritual base), complete observances, then proceed to other tīrthas—reflecting Kāśī’s role as the ‘axis’ of tīrtha-yātrā under Viśveśvara’s guardianship.
Significance: Darśana of Viśvanātha and residence/ritual completion in Kāśī are held to confer purification, stability in dharma, and readiness for wider tīrtha-yātrā; in Śaiva Siddhānta terms, it supports caryā/kriyā leading toward anugraha.
Type: stotra
Shakti Form: Annapūrṇā
Role: nurturing
Offering: pushpa
FAQs
The verse elevates Kāśī (Vārāṇasī) as a primary sacred base for dharmic life, implying that disciplined gathering, completion of vows, and then tīrtha-travel should be done in an ordered, purposeful way aligned with Śiva’s sanctifying grace.
Kāśī is traditionally understood as Śiva’s own kṣetra, where Saguna Śiva is approached through temple worship, mantra, and tīrtha-dharma; beginning one’s pilgrimage there frames later visits to other holy places as extensions of Śiva-centered devotion.
It suggests completing one’s saṅkalpa and observances first in a principal Śaiva kṣetra (such as Kāśī)—then proceeding to other tīrthas; a practical takeaway is to begin with Śiva-mantra japa (e.g., Pañcākṣarī) and conclude vows properly before further pilgrimage.