Shloka 21

The Greatness of Avimukta (Kāśī/Vārāṇasī) and the Doctrine of Liberation-in-One-Life

Devanagari script

नाविमुक्ते मृतः कश्चिन्नरकं याति किल्बिषी । ईश्वरानुगृहीता हि सर्वे यांति परां गतिम्

Transliteration

nāvimukte mṛtaḥ kaścinnarakaṃ yāti kilbiṣī | īśvarānugṛhītā hi sarve yāṃti parāṃ gatim

Translation

アヴィムクタにて死する罪ある者は地獄に赴かぬと説かれる。主の恩寵により、すべては至上の境地に至る。

Word by Word

• न: not
• न: Pratishedha (Negation/निषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध-अव्यय (negation particle)

• अविमुक्ते: in Avimukta (Kāśī)
• अविमुक्ते: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अविमुक्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th), एकवचन; स्थानवाचक

• मृतः: dead; having died
• मृतः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मृत (कृदन्त; √मृ धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण (for ‘कश्चित्’)

• कश्चित्: anyone
• कश्चित्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; अनिश्चितवाचक (indefinite pronoun)

• नरकम्: hell
• नरकम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नरक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• याति: goes
• याति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √या (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• किल्बिषी: sinful
• किल्बिषी: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: किल्बिषिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण

• ईश्वरानुगृहीताः: favoured by the Lord
• ईश्वरानुगृहीताः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक) + अनु-गृहीत (कृदन्त; √ग्रह् धातु)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष: ‘ईश्वरेण अनुगृहीताः’

• हि: indeed
• हि: Sambandha (Discourse particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphatic/causal particle)

• सर्वे: all
• सर्वे: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• यान्ति: go
• यान्ति: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √या (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• पराम्: supreme
• पराम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; विशेषण (for ‘गतिम्’)

• गतिम्: state/goal
• गतिम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

Speaker

Unspecified (narratorial verse within the Svarga-khaṇḍa context)

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Geographic Context

Type: city

Sandhi Resolution Notes

Sandhi Resolution Notes: न+अविमुक्ते→नाविमुक्ते; कश्चित्+नरकम्→कश्चिन्नरकम्; ईश्वर+अनुगृहीताः→ईश्वरानुगृहीताः (tatpurusha); यान्ति (spelling in IAST yāṃti) = यान्ति.

Characters & Entities

• Īśvara
• Avimukta (Kāśī)

FAQs

What does this verse say about dying at Avimukta (Kāśī)?

It states that even a sinful person who dies at Avimukta is not said to go to hell, because the Lord’s grace operates there.

How does this verse emphasize Bhakti or divine grace over mere merit?

The key reason given is īśvarānugraha (the Lord’s favor), implying liberation is ultimately secured by divine grace rather than only by one’s accumulated merit.

What ethical lesson is implied despite the promise of liberation at a tīrtha?

While the verse highlights the extraordinary sanctity of Avimukta, it frames liberation as the Lord’s gift—encouraging reverence, devotion, and moral responsibility rather than license to commit wrongdoing.