Shiva Purana — Vayaviya Samhita, Shloka 7
अवभृथस्नान-तीर्थयात्रा-तेजोदर्शनम् | Avabhṛtha Bath, Tīrtha-Pilgrimage, and the Vision of Divine Radiance
ततो वाराणसीं प्राप्य मुदितास्सर्व एव ते । तदोत्तरप्रवाहायां गंगायामवगाह्य च
tato vārāṇasīṃ prāpya muditāssarva eva te | tadottarapravāhāyāṃ gaṃgāyāmavagāhya ca
پھر وارانسی پہنچ کر وہ سب نہایت مسرور ہوئے؛ اور جہاں گنگا کا بہاؤ اُترواہنی ہے، وہاں گنگا میں غوطہ لگا کر پُنیہ اشنان کیا۔
Suta Goswami
Tattva Level: pati
Shiva Form: Mahādeva
Jyotirlinga: Viśvanātha
Sthala Purana: Arrival at Vārāṇasī (Avimukta/Kāśī), Śiva’s eternal kṣetra; bathing in the uttaravāhinī Gaṅgā is treated as especially potent, orienting the pilgrim toward Viśveśvara’s grace.
Significance: Uttaravāhinī Gaṅgā-snāna at Kāśī is traditionally held to multiply merit and support mokṣa-oriented worship in Śiva’s kṣetra.
Role: liberating
FAQs
It presents Kāśī and the Gaṅgā as a purifying sacred field where devotees prepare themselves inwardly for Shiva-oriented worship—cleansing pāśa (bondage-impurities) through tīrtha-sevā and śuddhi.
Reaching Vārāṇasī (Shiva’s sacred city) and bathing in the Gaṅgā functions as preliminary purification before approaching Saguna Shiva in the form of Linga-worship, aligning body and mind for devotion and mantra.
Tīrtha-snāna (ritual bathing) with a devotional intention—followed by Shiva-smaraṇa and japa (especially the Panchākṣarī, “Om Namaḥ Śivāya”)—is the implied practice.