Shloka 55
The Description of Kāśī (Kāśī-māhātmya): Avimukta, Kapālamocana, and Śiva’s Purification
क्षेत्रदानेन कारुण्यं कुरु मे गरुडध्वज । मम निर्गमने ब्रह्महत्या मां पुनरेष्यति ॥ ५५ ॥
kṣetradānena kāruṇyaṃ kuru me garuḍadhvaja | mama nirgamane brahmahatyā māṃ punareṣyati || 55 ||
噢以迦楼罗为旗的主（毗湿奴），愿你以赐予圣地之恩怜悯我；因为我一旦离开此处，弑婆罗门之罪将再度归来攫住我。
A repentant sinner/devotee addressing Lord Vishnu (Garuḍadhvaja) within the Uttara-Bhaga narrative
Vrata: none
Primary Rasa: karuna (compassion)
Secondary Rasa: bhakti (devotion)
FAQs
It frames kṣetra-dāna (donation of sacred land) as a powerful act of compassion-backed prāyaścitta, sought through Viṣṇu’s grace to prevent grave sin (brahmahatyā) from reasserting itself.
The speaker directly appeals to Viṣṇu as Garuḍadhvaja, implying that relief from karmic bondage is not merely mechanical ritual—true purification is completed by divine mercy invoked through sincere surrender.
It reflects Dharmaśāstra-style application of ritual charity (dāna) as prāyaścitta; while not a technical Vedāṅga lesson, it aligns with kalpa-oriented practice—how prescribed acts like dāna are used for purification within Vedic ritual ethics.