Shloka 54
The Greatness of Avimukta (Kāśī/Vārāṇasī) and the Doctrine of Liberation-in-One-Life
तस्मान्मुमुक्षुर्नियतो वसेद्वै मरणांतकम् । वाराणस्यां महादेवाज्ज्ञानं लब्ध्वा विमुच्यते
tasmānmumukṣurniyato vasedvai maraṇāṃtakam | vārāṇasyāṃ mahādevājjñānaṃ labdhvā vimucyate
അതുകൊണ്ട് മോക്ഷം ആഗ്രഹിക്കുന്ന নিয়മശീലനായ সাধകൻ മരണാന്തം വരെ വാരാണസിയിൽ വസിക്കണം; അവിടെ മഹാദേവനിൽ നിന്ന് ജ്ഞാനം ലഭിച്ച് അവൻ വിമുക്തനാകുന്നു।
Not explicitly stated in the provided excerpt (contextually within Svargakhaṇḍa teachings praising Vārāṇasī and Śiva as giver of liberating knowledge).
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Type: city
Sandhi Resolution Notes: तस्मान्मुमुक्षुः → तस्मात् मुमुक्षुः; वसेद्वै → वसेत् वै; मरणांतकम् → मरणान्तकम्; महादेवाज्ज्ञानम् → महादेवात् ज्ञानम्.
FAQs
It presents Vārāṇasī as a supreme tīrtha where a sincere seeker, living there with discipline until life’s end, attains liberation through the saving knowledge bestowed by Mahādeva.
The verse foregrounds jñāna as the immediate liberating cause—specifically knowledge received from Mahādeva—while implying the devotional trust and sacred geography (Kāśī) that frame that attainment.
It emphasizes niyama/self-restraint and steady commitment—living a regulated life oriented toward liberation, rather than treating pilgrimage as a brief or casual act.