In Hinduism

Purana and Itihasa (epic history)

Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: The Purana Index

Vārāṇasīmāhātmya (वाराणसीमाहात्म्य).—Śiva addresses Pārvatī on, in taking her out and showing the grandeur and majesty of the forest and garden round about Kāśī; the place of Vidyādharas, Siddhas and Cāraṇas. Here Bhagavān Piṅgala became Gaṇeśvara and Kṣetrapāla and distributor of food to the residents in the city. He was originally a Yakṣa, son of Pūrṇabhadra. He devoted himself to severe austerities and was blessed by Śiva to be a Gaṇapati.¹ It is avimukta tīrtha for here Śiva is omnipresent and is never absent from there. All sinners who die here become Rudras in time. Śiva stands here like a pillar, motionless till the deluge. Every part of the city is holy.² He who remains here for a month gets the benefit of observing the Pāśupata vow. By living permanently one gets true emancipation. By giving up life at the Maṇikarṇikā ghat one secures the desired goal. Perpetual life in Kāśī leads one to union with Śiva.³ Kāśī's importance on account of its sacred stream, the Ganges; survives all deluge; Śiva addresses Pārvatī on the great glory of the kṣetram in terms of Paramayoga, Paramagati and Paramamokṣa. It is a place where people of all varṇas attain immortality. Gifts of cow and other things in this city are always beneficial.⁴ It is the place where Śiva got rid of the curse of Brahmā to roam about with a skull for having cut off the fifth head of the creator. Through the grace of Hari, the skull fell down in Kāśī and broke into a thousand pieces.⁵ It is the burial ground of all the gods, the ground being the Avimukta temple. It is the seat of Brahmā. But it deludes nondevotees. Here Vedavyāsa resided for 12 years observing the vow of silence. At the end of the vow he felt hungry and asked for alms. None was able to feed him. When he was about to curse the city, Śiva and Pārvatī took the human form and entertained him to his satisfaction. Then Vyāsa knew of his guests who remarked that a man of choleric temper like himself should not live in that city. But he was permitted to visit it twice a fortnight on Aṣṭami and Caturdaśī days.⁶

• 1) Matsya-purāṇa ch. 180.
• 2) Ib. ch. 181.
• 3) Ib. ch. 182.
• 4) Ib. ch. 183.
• 5) Ib. ch. 184.
• 6) Ib. ch. 185.

context information

The Purana (पुराण, purāṇas) refers to Sanskrit literature preserving ancient India’s vast cultural history, including historical legends, religious ceremonies, various arts and sciences. The eighteen mahapuranas total over 400,000 shlokas (metrical couplets) and date to at least several centuries BCE.

Shaivism (Shaiva philosophy)

Source: Brill: Śaivism and the Tantric Traditions

Vārāṇasīmāhātmya (वाराणसीमाहात्म्य) is the name of a manuscript probably dated to the twelfth century and possibly meant to be included in the Bhairavaprādurbhāva section of the Vāmanapurāṇa.—The Vārāṇasīmāhātmya is an extensive but incomplete manuscript: 145 folios survive but the text breaks off in the middle of a long quotation of the Skandapurāṇa. The manuscript consists of Māhātmyas taken from and attributed to a range of Purāṇas, including the Matsyapurāṇa, Nandipurāṇa, Brahmapurāṇa, Liṅgapurāṇa, Śivapurāṇa and Skandapurāṇa. Several Māhātmyas can be identified in the present editions of works bearing the same name (most importantly the Māhātmyas of the published Matsyapurāṇa and the early Skandapurāṇa), but quite a few of them are unknown from any other source. The manuscript provides a unique glimpse into the production of Māhātmya literature in early medieval Vārāṇasī.

context information

Shaiva (शैव, śaiva) or Shaivism (śaivism) represents a tradition of Hinduism worshiping Shiva as the supreme being. Closely related to Shaktism, Shaiva literature includes a range of scriptures, including Tantras, while the root of this tradition may be traced back to the ancient Vedas.

Languages of India and abroad

Sanskrit dictionary

Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Aufrecht Catalogus Catalogorum

Vārāṇasīmāhātmya (वाराणसीमाहात्म्य) as mentioned in Aufrecht’s Catalogus Catalogorum:—B. 2, 50.
—from the Padmapurāṇa. Rice. 88.

Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary

Vārāṇasīmāhātmya (वाराणसीमाहात्म्य):—[=vārāṇasī-māhātmya] [from vārāṇasī] n. Name of [work]

context information

Sanskrit, also spelled संस्कृतम् (saṃskṛtam), is an ancient language of India commonly seen as the grandmother of the Indo-European language family (even English!). Closely allied with Prakrit and Pali, Sanskrit is more exhaustive in both grammar and terms and has the most extensive collection of literature in the world, greatly surpassing its sister-languages Greek and Latin.

See also (Relevant definitions)

Partial matches: Varanasi, Mahatmya, Varanaci.

Full-text (+57): Svacchandaraja, Somaraja, Kamaraja, Lalitaraja, Vighnaraja, Vidyaraja, Saumya, Bhrigutunga, Nihsanga, Saumyabhairava, Hetu, Lalita, Jayantika, Kalanjara, Lalitabhairava, Hetushastra, Vitapa, Avimukta, Ragabija, Samsaravitapa.

Relevant text

Search found 2 books and stories containing Varanasimahatmya, Vārāṇasīmāhātmya, Varanasi-mahatmya, Vārāṇasī-māhātmya; (plurals include: Varanasimahatmyas, Vārāṇasīmāhātmyas, mahatmyas, māhātmyas). You can also click to the full overview containing English textual excerpts. Below are direct links for the most relevant articles:

The Agni Purana (by N. Gangadharan)

Chapter 112 - The greatness of Vārāṇasī (māhātmya)

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The Matsya Purana (critical study) (by Kushal Kalita)

Part 4 - Contents of the Matsyapurāṇa (summary) < [Chapter 1 - Introduction]

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