Shloka 38
The Description of Kāśī (Kāśī-māhātmya): Avimukta, Kapālamocana, and Śiva’s Purification
नापश्यत्तामनुप्राप्तां ब्रह्महत्यां बहिः स्थिताम् । ततोऽसौ वैष्णवं ज्ञात्वा क्षेत्रं दुरितनाशनम् । तुष्टाव प्रयतो भूत्वा माधवं वंद्यमीश्वरम् ॥ ३८ ॥
nāpaśyattāmanuprāptāṃ brahmahatyāṃ bahiḥ sthitām | tato'sau vaiṣṇavaṃ jñātvā kṣetraṃ duritanāśanam | tuṣṭāva prayato bhūtvā mādhavaṃ vaṃdyamīśvaram || 38 ||
स ब्रह्महत्यामनुप्राप्तामपि नापश्यत्, सा तु बहिः स्थितैव। ततः स वैष्णवं क्षेत्रं दुरितनाशनं ज्ञात्वा प्रयतः सन् वन्द्यं माधवमीश्वरं तुष्टाव॥
Narada (narrating the kshetra-mahatmya to Sanatkumara)
Vrata: none
Primary Rasa: bhakti
Secondary Rasa: shanta
FAQs
It teaches that a true Vaiṣṇava kṣetra has pāpa-nāśana power: grave impurity like brahmahatyā cannot enter and is kept outside, while the pilgrim is directed toward purity and praise of Mādhava.
The response to realizing the sanctity of the kṣetra is not fear but bhakti: becoming prayata (disciplined and reverent) and offering stuti to Mādhava, showing that devotion and surrender are the proper inner act of tīrtha-yātrā.
It implicitly highlights śauca and prayoga in ritual conduct—entering a tīrtha with prayata-bhāva (restraint, purity, right intention) and performing stuti/namaskāra as a core devotional rite, rather than a technical Vedāṅga like Vyākaraṇa or Jyotiṣa.