Shloka 15

Sacred Abodes of Vishnu & Shiva — Catalogue of Vishnu and Shiva’s Sacred Abodes (Tirtha-Mahatmya within the Pulastya–Narada Frame)

Devanagari script

तथैव विप्रप्रवर वाराणस्यां च केशवम् अविमुक्तकमत्रैव लोलश्चात्रैव गीयते

Transliteration

tathaiva viprapravara vārāṇasyāṃ ca keśavam avimuktakamatraiva lolaścātraiva gīyate

Translation

ତଥାପି, ହେ ବିପ୍ରପ୍ରବର, ବାରାଣସୀରେ କେଶବଙ୍କୁ ଜାଣିବା ଉଚିତ; ଏଠାରେଇ ଅବିମୁକ୍ତକ ଅଛି; ଏଠାରେଇ ଲୋଲା ମଧ୍ୟ ଗୀତ/କୀର୍ତ୍ତିତ।

Speakers

• Sūta to sages (addressing a vipra as representative interlocutor)

Primary Deities

• Vishnu
• Shiva

Key Themes

• Sacred city topography (Kāśī as a microcosm of tīrthas)
• Shaiva–Vaishnava co-presence in kṣetra mapping
• Stuti and fame of local deities

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

{ "primaryRasa": "shanta", "secondaryRasa": "adbhuta", "rasaIntensity": 0, "emotionalArcPosition": "", "moodDescriptors": [] }

FAQs

How can Keśava (Viṣṇu) be highlighted in Vārāṇasī, a city strongly associated with Śiva?

Purāṇic tīrtha-literature often presents major kṣetras as multi-deity landscapes. Kāśī is primarily Śaiva in identity, yet it contains prominent Vaiṣṇava presences; listing Keśava there asserts theological co-presence and supports inclusive pilgrimage practice.

What does “Avimuktaka” signify geographically and ritually?

Avimuktaka denotes the ‘never-abandoned’ sacred precinct of Kāśī—an idea that the sanctity of the place is perpetual. Ritually, it implies that acts performed there (bathing, japa, dāna, śrāddha) carry heightened and enduring merit.

Who/what is “Lola” in this verse?

“Lola” is best read as a kṣetra-specific deity-name or shrine-epithet within the Kāśī complex, noted as being ‘sung of’ (gīyate). Without additional chapter context, it should not be over-identified; the verse’s function is to register a recognized sacred name tied to the locale.