Shloka 56
Tīrtha-yātrā-varṇana
Description of Pilgrimage to the Sacred Fords
अविमुक्तं सदा देवि यः श्रयेदीक्षया नरः । न तस्य पुनरावृत्तिः कल्पकोटिशतैरपि ॥ ५६ ॥
avimuktaṃ sadā devi yaḥ śrayedīkṣayā naraḥ | na tasya punarāvṛttiḥ kalpakoṭiśatairapi || 56 ||
Ô Déesse, l’homme qui, après avoir reçu la dīkṣā, prend refuge sans cesse en Avimukta, ne revient plus à la renaissance, fût-ce après des centaines de crores de kalpas.
Narada (narrative voice within the Uttara-Bhaga Tirtha-Mahatmya dialogue tradition)
Vrata: none
Primary Rasa: bhakti
Secondary Rasa: shanta
FAQs
It declares Avimukta (Kāśī) as a mokṣa-granting kṣetra: one who takes refuge there with proper dīkṣā is said to be freed from punarāvṛtti—returning to saṃsāra—even across immense cosmic time (kalpas).
Refuge (śaraṇāgati/śraya) in a divinely protected tirtha, supported by dīkṣā, expresses committed surrender and disciplined devotion—presented here as a direct cause for liberation rather than mere merit-gathering.
The verse points to ritual discipline via dīkṣā (initiation), implying correct procedure and mantra-authorization—areas traditionally aligned with Kalpa (ritual practice) and Śikṣā (mantric recitation) in applied Vedic observance.