The Roster of Varanasi's Tirthas

Verse 1 (padma.3.37.1)

नारद उवाच । अन्यानि च महाराज तीर्थानि पावनानि तु । वाराणस्यां स्थितानीह संशृणुष्व युधिष्ठिर ।

nārada uvāca anyāni ca mahārāja tīrthāni pāvanāni tu vārāṇasyāṁ sthitānīha saṁśṛṇuṣva yudhiṣṭhira

Narada said: Hear now, O king Yudhishthira, of the other purifying tirthas situated here in Varanasi.

Verse 2 (padma.3.37.2)

प्रयागादधिकं तीर्थं प्रयागं परमं शुभम् । विश्वरूपं तथा तीर्थं तालतीर्थमनुत्तमम् ।

prayāgādadhikaṁ tīrthaṁ prayāgaṁ paramaṁ śubham viśvarūpaṁ tathā tīrthaṁ tālatīrthamanuttamam

A tirtha greater even than Prayaga — this supremely auspicious local Prayaga; the tirtha Vishvarupa, and the unsurpassed Tala-tirtha —

Verse 3 (padma.3.37.3)

आकाशाख्यं महातीर्थं तीर्थं चैवार्षभं परम् । सुनीलं च महातीर्थं गौरीतीर्थमनुत्तमम् ।

ākāśākhyaṁ mahātīrthaṁ tīrthaṁ caivārṣabhaṁ param sunīlaṁ ca mahātīrthaṁ gaurītīrthamanuttamam

the great tirtha called Akasha, and the supreme Arshabha tirtha; the great Sunila tirtha, and the unsurpassed Gauri-tirtha —

Verse 4 (padma.3.37.4)

प्राजापत्यं तथा तीर्थं स्वर्गद्वारं तथैव च । जंबुकेश्वरमित्युक्तं धर्माख्यं तीर्थमुत्तमम् ।

prājāpatyaṁ tathā tīrthaṁ svargadvāraṁ tathaiva ca jaṁbukeśvaramityuktaṁ dharmākhyaṁ tīrthamuttamam

the Prajapatya tirtha, and Svargadvara as well; the one called Jambukeshvara, and the excellent tirtha named Dharma —

Verse 5 (padma.3.37.5)

गयातीर्थं परं तीर्थं तीर्थं चैव महानदी । नारायणपरं तीर्थं वायुतीर्थमनुत्तमम् ।

gayātīrthaṁ paraṁ tīrthaṁ tīrthaṁ caiva mahānadī nārāyaṇaparaṁ tīrthaṁ vāyutīrthamanuttamam

the supreme Gaya-tirtha, and the tirtha of Mahanadi; the supreme Narayana-tirtha, and the unsurpassed Vayu-tirtha —

Verse 6 (padma.3.37.6)

ज्ञानतीर्थं परं गुह्यं वाराहं तीर्थमुत्तमम् । यमतीर्थं यथापुण्यं तीर्थं संमूर्तिकं शुभम् ।

jñānatīrthaṁ paraṁ guhyaṁ vārāhaṁ tīrthamuttamam yamatīrthaṁ yathāpuṇyaṁ tīrthaṁ saṁmūrtikaṁ śubham

the supreme and secret Jnana-tirtha, and the excellent Varaha-tirtha; the meritorious Yama-tirtha, and the auspicious Sammurtika-tirtha —

Verse 7 (padma.3.37.7)

अग्नितीर्थं महाराज कलशेश्वरमुत्तमम् । नागतीर्थं सोमतीर्थं सूर्यतीर्थं तथैव च ।

agnitīrthaṁ mahārāja kalaśeśvaramuttamam nāgatīrthaṁ somatīrthaṁ sūryatīrthaṁ tathaiva ca

Agni-tirtha, O great king, and the excellent Kalasheshvara; the Naga-tirtha, the Soma-tirtha, and the Surya-tirtha likewise —

Verse 8 (padma.3.37.8)

पर्वताख्यं महागुह्यं मणिकर्ण्यमनुत्तमम् । घटोत्कचं तीर्थवरं श्रीतीर्थं च पितामहम् ।

parvatākhyaṁ mahāguhyaṁ maṇikarṇyamanuttamam ghaṭotkacaṁ tīrthavaraṁ śrītīrthaṁ ca pitāmaham

the greatly secret one called Parvata, and the unsurpassed Manikarnika; the excellent Ghatotkacha tirtha, and Shri-tirtha, and Pitamaha's tirtha —

Verse 9 (padma.3.37.9)

गंगातीर्थं तु देवेशं ययातेस्तीर्थमुत्तमम् । कापिलं चैव सोमेशं ब्रह्मतीर्थमनुत्तमम् ।

gaṁgātīrthaṁ tu deveśaṁ yayātestīrthamuttamam kāpilaṁ caiva someśaṁ brahmatīrthamanuttamam

Ganga-tirtha, lord of gods, and the excellent Yayati-tirtha; Kapila-tirtha, Someshvara, and the unsurpassed Brahma-tirtha —

Verse 10 (padma.3.37.10)

तत्र लिंगं पुराणीयं स्थातुं ब्रह्मा यथागतः । तदानीं स्थापयामास विष्णुस्तल्लिंगमैश्वरम् ।

tatra liṁgaṁ purāṇīyaṁ sthātuṁ brahmā yathāgataḥ tadānīṁ sthāpayāmāsa viṣṇustalliṁgamaiśvaram

there stands an ancient linga; when Brahma had come there to install it, Vishnu had already established that divine linga.

Verse 11 (padma.3.37.11)

तत्र स्नात्वा समागम्य ब्रह्मा प्रोवाच तं हरिम् । मयानीतमिदं लिंगं कस्मात्स्थापितवानसि ।

tatra snātvā samāgamya brahmā provāca taṁ harim mayānītamidaṁ liṁgaṁ kasmātsthāpitavānasi

Having bathed there and come near, Brahma said to Hari: 'This linga was brought by me — why have you established it yourself?'

Verse 12 (padma.3.37.12)

तमाह विष्णुस्त्वत्तोऽपि रुद्रे भक्तिर्दृढा मम । तस्मात्प्रतिष्ठितं लिगं नाम्ना तव भविष्यति ।

tamāha viṣṇustvatto'pi rudre bhaktirdṛḍhā mama tasmātpratiṣṭhitaṁ ligaṁ nāmnā tava bhaviṣyati

Vishnu replied to him: 'Even more than you, my devotion to Rudra is firm. Therefore this consecrated linga shall bear your name.'

Verse 13 (padma.3.37.13)

भूतेश्वरं तथा तीर्थं तीर्थं धर्मसमुद्भवम् । गंधर्वतीर्थं सुशुभं वाह्नेयं तीर्थमुत्तमम् ।

bhūteśvaraṁ tathā tīrthaṁ tīrthaṁ dharmasamudbhavam gaṁdharvatīrthaṁ suśubhaṁ vāhneyaṁ tīrthamuttamam

Bhuteshvara likewise, and the tirtha born of Dharma; the very auspicious Gandharva-tirtha, and the excellent fire-tirtha (Vahneya) —

Verse 14 (padma.3.37.14)

दौर्वासिकं व्योमतीर्थं चंद्रतीर्थं युधिष्ठिर । चिंतांगदेश्वरं तीर्थं पुण्यं विद्याधरेश्वरम् ।

daurvāsikaṁ vyomatīrthaṁ caṁdratīrthaṁ yudhiṣṭhira ciṁtāṁgadeśvaraṁ tīrthaṁ puṇyaṁ vidyādhareśvaram

Daurvasika, the Vyoma-tirtha, and the Chandra-tirtha, O Yudhishthira; the tirtha Chintangadeshvara, and the sacred Vidyadhareshvara —

Verse 15 (padma.3.37.15)

केदारतीर्थमुग्राख्यं कालंजरमनुत्तमम् । सारस्वतं प्रभासं च रुद्रकर्णह्रदं शुभम् ।

kedāratīrthamugrākhyaṁ kālaṁjaramanuttamam sārasvataṁ prabhāsaṁ ca rudrakarṇahradaṁ śubham

Kedara-tirtha called Ugra, and the unsurpassed Kalanjara; Sarasvata, Prabhasa, and the auspicious Rudra-Karnahrada —

Verse 16 (padma.3.37.16)

कोकिलाख्यं महातीर्थं तीर्थं चैव महालयम् । हिरण्यगर्भं गोप्रेक्षं तीर्थं चैवमनुत्तमम् ।

kokilākhyaṁ mahātīrthaṁ tīrthaṁ caiva mahālayam hiraṇyagarbhaṁ goprekṣaṁ tīrthaṁ caivamanuttamam

the great tirtha called Kokila, and the tirtha Mahalaya; Hiranyagarbha, Gopreksha, and this unsurpassed tirtha as well —

Verse 17 (padma.3.37.17)

उपशांतं शिवं चैव व्याघ्रेश्वरमनुत्तमम् । त्रिलोचनं महातीर्थं लोकार्कं चोत्तराह्वयम् ।

upaśāṁtaṁ śivaṁ caiva vyāghreśvaramanuttamam trilocanaṁ mahātīrthaṁ lokārkaṁ cottarāhvayam

Upashanta, and Shiva itself, and the unsurpassed Vyaghreshvara; the great tirtha Trilochana, and Lokarka, also called Uttara —

Verse 18 (padma.3.37.18)

कपालमोचनं तीर्थं ब्रह्महत्याविनाशनम् । शुक्रेश्वरं महापुण्यमानंदपुरमुत्तमम् ।

kapālamocanaṁ tīrthaṁ brahmahatyāvināśanam śukreśvaraṁ mahāpuṇyamānaṁdapuramuttamam

the tirtha Kapalamochana, which destroys the sin of killing a Brahmin; the greatly meritorious Shukreshvara, and the excellent Anandapura —

Verse 19 (padma.3.37.19)

एवमादीनि तीर्थानि वाराणस्यां स्थितानि वै । न शक्यं विस्तराद्वक्तुं कल्पकोटिशतैरपि ।

evamādīni tīrthāni vārāṇasyāṁ sthitāni vai na śakyaṁ vistarādvaktuṁ kalpakoṭiśatairapi

such and many other tirthas indeed stand in Varanasi; they cannot be told in full detail even across hundreds of millions of kalpas.