Shloka 8
The Greatness of Kāśī (Kāśī-māhātmya) and Avimukta’s Liberative Power
अधुना वद विप्रेंद्र काशीमाहात्म्यमुत्तमम् । मया पूर्वं श्रुतं ब्रह्मन् किंचित्संध्यावलीमुखात् ॥ ८ ॥
adhunā vada vipreṃdra kāśīmāhātmyamuttamam | mayā pūrvaṃ śrutaṃ brahman kiṃcitsaṃdhyāvalīmukhāt || 8 ||
اب، اے وِپرِیندر، کاشی کا اعلیٰ ماہاتمیہ بیان کیجیے۔ اے برہمن، پہلے میں نے سندھیاؤلی کے منہ سے اس کا تھوڑا سا ہی سنا تھا॥۸॥
Narrator/Questioner (disciple-devotee addressing a Brahmin sage)
Vrata: none
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: bhakti
FAQs
It frames Kāśī as a supreme tīrtha whose full māhātmya should be heard in detail from an authoritative sage, emphasizing śravaṇa (devotional listening) as a means of gaining merit and right understanding.
Bhakti here appears as humble inquiry and attentive hearing—requesting the “uttama” glory of a sacred place from a realized brāhmaṇa, showing that devotion grows through respectful listening to sacred accounts.
The verse highlights śravaṇa and reliable transmission (guru/vakta-pramāṇa) rather than a specific Vedāṅga; practically, it implies disciplined learning through correct sources and recitation in traditional narrative settings.