Among the hills—Arunachala. Among the temples, palaces—Madurai. Among the trees—Kalpavṛukśa. Among the Gods—Mahādeva. Among the cities—Kashi, Varanasi.
Kashi, if you don't understand, most frustrating; if you understand, most fascinating! The old Kashi, the original Kashi is called Avimukta Kśetra– never given up, never forsaken. The people who live there and that place, both are never forsaken, never given up.
Mahādeva himself declares, 'I will hold these people, protect them, even during Pralaya (great deluge). Even when the whole world is destroyed during the great deluge, I will hold them on the tip of My triśula (trident).'
Understand, that is why, even Ādī Śaṅkarācārya, when He made the maṭhas (monasteries), for North–Uttaramnaya, East–Pūrvamnaya, West–Paścimamnaya and South–Dakshinamnaya, after establishing everything, He himself retired in Kānci— Mūlamnaya. So, as per the tradition, all the Śaṅkarācharyas after they appoint their own successors should retire. In Hinduism, even the Pīthādhipatis (spiritual heads) are supposed to retire once they appoint the successors. So, Ādi Śaṅkara very clearly declares that Kāśi is a Urdhvamnaya, He says, 'Kāśi Urdhvamnaya.' Kāśi cannot come under any Śaṅkarāchārya.
Mahādeva again and again and again Himself happens and He will be present here as Ācharya. So, no separate Śaṅkarāchārya. Kāśi is Urdhvamnaya! Mahādeva Himself promises that He will hold the whole place on the tip of His Triśula (trident). Because He promised to hold them on the tip of His triśula and save and protect them, it is called Urdhvamnaya.
Ānanda Vana! Here even death is a liberation and celebration! Even death is a liberation and celebration! Among the seven Jīvan Mukti Kśetras, this is the foremost! Kāśi is the foremost Jīvan Mukti Kśetra!
Ananda Vana! So, even now, Mahādeva relaxes and enjoys His own inner-space and glory in Ānanda Tānḍava—He celebrates His own existence! How when you are in a high mood you take a selfie and put it in Facebook, in the same way, Viśvanātha is selfie of Mahādeva! Viśvanātha and Kālabhairava are selfie of Mahādeva! Because He is in such an ecstasy, He took a selfie and posted it to all of us! That is Viśvanātha and Kālabhairava! Varanasi! Varanasi, the place of Ānanda Vana – blissful forest!
The impact of kśetras and tīrthas on the spiritual growth is something extraordinary! Actually, my whole life is a long yātra. I am born in a tīrtha kśetra, Tiruvannamalai which liberates people just by remembrance, and spent so much of my time in travelling to tīrtha kśetras in my life. Even now I don't stay in a city or a village if there is no temple there! I stay only if I can go to the temple in the morning! The influence of tīrtha kśetras, especially tīrthas like Jīvan Mukti Nagara (cities that liberate)!
Please understand, in Vedic Tradition, we have seven cities that grant liberation, Jīvan Mukti Puris– Kānchi, Kāśi, Māyā (Haridvār), Avantika, Mathurā, Ayodhyā, Dvārikā. These seven cities are called Jīvan Mukti Puri, which give liberation either when you visit or by leaving the body there, or by living there. There are some like Arunāchala—just by remembering you get liberated! Apart from all these, Kāśi has a very fascinating influence over people. It is really, really fascinating!
I want to define Yātra and Kśetra.
Yātra is travelling to a place which puts you in the highest state! Going to a place that gets you back to the space! Going to a place that gets you back to the space!
Going to a place that gets you back to your own space is Kśetra. Ksetra is a place which stands for certain spiritual energy, certain ideology. All our temples and ashrams are the modern-day Kśetras. Please listen! All our temples and ashrams are the modern-day Kśetras.
And this concept of Yātra is unique to Hinduism, please understand. Tens of thousands of years before any religion invented any Yātra or any pilgrimage, we were doing pilgrimage, Yātra. It is through Yātra, Bharat was kept united. Please understand, the priests from Karnataka are doing Pūjā in Kedarnath. Priests from Maharashtra are doing Pūjā in Rāmeśvaram. Priests from different parts of the country do Pūjā in the other parts of the country in the temples. By this great spiritual tourism, this country's fabric of Enlightenment was kept alive. The backbone of this country, even 'backbone' is too small a word. 'Fabric' is the right word. It means, the whole basis of this country is Enlightenment.
Yātra is one of the very important aspects of Hinduism. Going to the energy fields, being there, giving people the experience, the strength! You cannot compare among the Kśetras, Varanasi, to any Kśetra. Kāshi city has the world's largest floating population. Please understand, per day a lot of people enter the city and leave the city. The floating population of the city is a lot of people! It means, per month almost a lot of people; per year almost a lot of people! It is far, far, far ahead of any other religion's any pilgrimage centre. All through the year this pilgrimage happens!
Listen. Especially in Varanasi the Mūrti, Tīrtha and Kśetra, all three are available! Mūrti is the form of Divine—Achala Mūrti (immoving living divine) is Viśvanātha and Sachala Mūrti (moving Divine form) is Satguru. Tīrtha is Gaṅgā—
Varuna, Assi; Kśetra: Kāshi, Avimukta Kśetra–never forsaken, never given up. So, understand, initiations by the Satguru in the proper tīrtha, kśetra, by the proper mūrti—Gurumūrti, makes you awakened!
(Next, Ganga significance)
(Mahādeva says, jāhnavī caraṇodakaṁ—the Guru's feet-washed is Ganga. (connect this tt to Guru being a cause of other's reality as Ganga is nectar which causes other's reaity)
The most hurting emotion in life is violence, whether you carry it towards you or others. And the most healing emotion in the world or the truth in the world, is being a cause for others' reality. The greatest poison in the world is violence. The greatest medicine in the world is being a cause for everyone's reality. The greatest amṛta (nectar) in the world is being a cause for everyone's reality. Gaṇgā, she is just a cause for everyone's reality. That is why she is amṛta. She is the amṛta kumbha, amṛta kalaśa, because she is just a cause for everyone's reality.
If you just decide, 'Let me be a cause for everyone's reality', suddenly you will see so much of healing inside you. Such vast space happens to you. You see vast space means the ability to handle any situation and courage to do anything. You will not be tired at all. You will have the ability to do the pūrva pakśa—the initial steps, again and again and again. Anybody who retains his ability and enthusiasm to start anything again from the scratch is a Leader.