Shloka 22
The Greatness of Kāśī (Kāśī-māhātmya) and Avimukta’s Liberative Power
इडानाम्नी तु या नाडी सा सौम्या संप्रकीर्तिता । वरणा नाम सा ज्ञेया केशवो यत्र संस्थितः ॥ २२ ॥
iḍānāmnī tu yā nāḍī sā saumyā saṃprakīrtitā | varaṇā nāma sā jñeyā keśavo yatra saṃsthitaḥ || 22 ||
‘اِڑا’ نامی نادی کو سَومیہ اور قمری مزاج والی کہا گیا ہے۔ اسے ‘وَرَنا’ بھی سمجھو—جہاں کیشو (وشنو) جلوہ فرما ہیں۔
Suta (narrating Narada Purana’s Uttara-bhaga tirtha-mahatmya section; speaker attribution commonly flows through Suta’s narration)
Vrata: none
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: bhakti
FAQs
It sacralizes a specific current/stream (Varaṇā) by identifying it with the auspicious, cooling Iḍā principle and by declaring Keśava’s presence there, framing the place as a Viṣṇu-centered tīrtha.
Bhakti is implied through localization of divine presence: by knowing and approaching the place “where Keśava abides,” a devotee’s reverence, pilgrimage, and remembrance become direct supports for Viṣṇu-bhakti.
It reflects traditional sacred-topography and subtle-body vocabulary (nāḍī, Iḍā) often used alongside ritual practice—useful for understanding how Purāṇic tīrtha descriptions integrate yogic/technical terminology into pilgrimage-centered observance.