Shloka 52

अविमुक्तक्षेत्रमाहात्म्य — काशी-वाराणसी में मोक्ष, लिङ्ग-तीर्थ-मानचित्र, और उपासना-विधि

Devanagari script

तस्मात्संसेवनीयं हि अविमुक्तं हि मुक्तये जैगीषव्यः परां सिद्धिं गतो यत्र महातपाः

Transliteration

tasmātsaṃsevanīyaṃ hi avimuktaṃ hi muktaye jaigīṣavyaḥ parāṃ siddhiṃ gato yatra mahātapāḥ

Translation

അതുകൊണ്ട് മോക്ഷത്തിനായി അവിമുക്ത (കാശി) ക്ഷേത്രം നിത്യവും ആശ്രയിക്കേണ്ടതാണ്; അവിടെയാണ് മഹാതപസ്വിയായ ജൈഗീഷവ്യൻ പാശഛേദക പതി-ശിവന്റെ പ്രസാദത്താൽ പരമസിദ്ധി—മുക്തി—പ്രാപിച്ചത്।

Word by Word

• tasmāt: therefore

• saṃsevanīyam: to be assiduously resorted to/served

• hi: indeed

• avimuktam: Avimukta (the never-abandoned sacred kṣetra of Śiva, i.e., Kāśī)

• muktaye: for liberation

• jaigīṣavyaḥ: (the sage) Jaigīṣavya

• parām: supreme

• siddhim: attainment/perfection

• gataḥ: attained/reached

• yatra: where

• mahā-tapāḥ: great asceticity/great tapas (one possessing intense austerity)

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating the kṣetra-māhātmya within the Linga Purana to the sages of Naimisharanya)

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Avimukta (Kashi)
• Jaigishavya

FAQs

What is the importance of this verse in the context of Linga worship?

It elevates Avimukta (Kāśī), Śiva’s never-abandoned kṣetra, as a primary support for mukti—implying that dwelling, serving, and worshipping Śiva (often through Liṅga-upāsanā) there powerfully dissolves pāśa (bondage) for the paśu (soul).

How does this verse describe the nature of Shiva (Shiva-tattva)?

Śiva is implied as Pati—the liberating Lord whose presence sanctifies Avimukta as a direct means to the supreme siddhi; liberation is not merely an attainment of power, but release from bondage through proximity to Śiva-tattva.

What ritualistic or Yogic practice is highlighted here?

Saṃsevanā of the kṣetra—steady residence/visitation, service, and disciplined tapas—aligned with Shaiva sādhanā (Pāśupata-oriented renunciation and Śiva-upāsanā) as the practical means leading to parā-siddhi (mukti).