Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 7
अवभृथस्नान-तीर्थयात्रा-तेजोदर्शनम् | Avabhṛtha Bath, Tīrtha-Pilgrimage, and the Vision of Divine Radiance
ततो वाराणसीं प्राप्य मुदितास्सर्व एव ते । तदोत्तरप्रवाहायां गंगायामवगाह्य च
tato vārāṇasīṃ prāpya muditāssarva eva te | tadottarapravāhāyāṃ gaṃgāyāmavagāhya ca
Puis, parvenus à Vārāṇasī, tous furent remplis de joie ; et, s’immergeant dans le Gaṅgā là où son courant s’écoule vers le nord, ils s’y baignèrent en rite sacré de purification.
Suta Goswami
Tattva Level: pati
Shiva Form: Mahādeva
Jyotirlinga: Viśvanātha
Sthala Purana: Arrival at Vārāṇasī (Avimukta/Kāśī), Śiva’s eternal kṣetra; bathing in the uttaravāhinī Gaṅgā is treated as especially potent, orienting the pilgrim toward Viśveśvara’s grace.
Significance: Uttaravāhinī Gaṅgā-snāna at Kāśī is traditionally held to multiply merit and support mokṣa-oriented worship in Śiva’s kṣetra.
Role: liberating
FAQs
It presents Kāśī and the Gaṅgā as a purifying sacred field where devotees prepare themselves inwardly for Shiva-oriented worship—cleansing pāśa (bondage-impurities) through tīrtha-sevā and śuddhi.
Reaching Vārāṇasī (Shiva’s sacred city) and bathing in the Gaṅgā functions as preliminary purification before approaching Saguna Shiva in the form of Linga-worship, aligning body and mind for devotion and mantra.
Tīrtha-snāna (ritual bathing) with a devotional intention—followed by Shiva-smaraṇa and japa (especially the Panchākṣarī, “Om Namaḥ Śivāya”)—is the implied practice.