Padma Purana · Chapter 3.36

nārada uvāca-
vārāṇasyāṃ mahārāja madhyameśaṃ parātparam /
tasminsthāne mahādevo devyā saha maheśvaraḥ

ramate bhagavānnityaṃ rudraiśca parivāritaḥ /
tatra pūrvaṃ hṛṣīkeśo viśvātmā devakīsutaḥ

uvāsa vatsaraṃ kṛṣṇaḥ sadā pāśupatairyutaḥ /
bhasmoddhūlitasarvāṃgo rudrādhyayanatatparaḥ

ārādhayanhariḥ śaṃbhuṃ kṛtvā pāśupataṃvratam /
tasya te bahavaḥ śiṣyāḥ brahmacaryaparāyaṇāḥ

labdhvā tadvadanājjñānaṃ dṛṣṭavaṃto maheśvaram /
tasya devo mahādevaḥ pratyakṣaṃ nīlalohitaḥ

dadau kṛṣṇasya bhagavānvarado varamuttamam /
ye'rcayaṃti ca goviṃdaṃ madbhaktā vidhipūrvakam

teṣāṃ tadaiśvaraṃ jñānamutpatsyati jaganmayam /
namasyo'rcayitavyaśca dhyātavyo matparairjanaiḥ

bhaviṣyaṃti na saṃdeho matprasādāddvijātayaḥ /
ye'tra drakṣyaṃti deveśaṃ snātvā devaṃ pinākinam

brahmahatyādikaṃ pāpaṃ teṣāmāśu vinaśyati /
prāṇāṃstyakṣyaṃti ye rmatyāḥ pāpakarmaratā api

te yāṃti tatparaṃ sthānaṃ nātra kāryā vicāraṇā /
dhanyāstu khalu te vijñā maṃdākinyāṃ kṛtodakāḥ

arcayitvā mahādevaṃ madhyameśvaramīśvaram /
jñānaṃ dānaṃ tapaḥ śrāddhaṃ piṃḍanirvapaṇaṃ tviha

ekaikaśaḥ kṛtaṃ karma punātyāsaptamaṃ kulam /
sannihatyāmupaspṛśya rāhugraste divākare

yatphalaṃ labhate marttyastasmāddaśaguṇaṃ tviha /
evamuktaṃ mahārāja māhātmyaṃ madhyameśvare /
yaḥ śṛṇoti paraṃ bhaktyā sa yāti paramaṃ padam

iti śrīpādme mahāpurāṇe svargakhaṃḍe vārāṇasīmāhātmye ṣaṭtriṃśo'dhyāyaḥ