Shloka 2
The Greatness of Avimukta (Kāśī/Vārāṇasī) and the Doctrine of Liberation-in-One-Life
नारद उवाच । अत्रेतिहासं वक्ष्यामि वाराणस्या गुणाश्रयम् । यस्य श्रवणमात्रेण मुच्यते ब्रह्महत्यया
nārada uvāca | atretihāsaṃ vakṣyāmi vārāṇasyā guṇāśrayam | yasya śravaṇamātreṇa mucyate brahmahatyayā
नारद म्हणाले—येथे मी वाराणसीचा गुणाश्रय असा प्राचीन इतिहास सांगतो; ज्याचे केवळ श्रवण केल्याने ब्रह्महत्येच्या पापातून मुक्ती मिळते.
Nārada
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Type: city
Sandhi Resolution Notes: atretihāsam = atra + itihāsam.
FAQs
It introduces Vārāṇasī as a preeminent tīrtha—an ‘abode of virtues’—and frames its māhātmya (sacred greatness) as so potent that even hearing its account is spiritually purifying.
It explicitly states that mere hearing (śravaṇa-mātra) of the sacred narrative brings liberation from grave sin, highlighting receptive devotion and attentive listening as efficacious religious practice.
By naming one of the most serious sins, the verse underscores the Purāṇic principle that sincere engagement with sacred teaching and tīrtha-māhātmya can lead to repentance, purification, and moral restoration.