Kurma Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 22
Oṅkāra-Liṅga and the Secret Pañcāyatana Liṅgas of Kāśī: Kṛttivāseśvara-Māhātmya
जन्मान्तरसहस्त्रेण मोक्षो ऽन्यत्राप्यते न वा / एकेन जन्मना मोक्षः कृत्तिवासे तु लभ्यते
janmāntarasahastreṇa mokṣo 'nyatrāpyate na vā / ekena janmanā mokṣaḥ kṛttivāse tu labhyate
في مواضعَ أخرى قد تُنالُ الموكشا بعد ألفِ ولادة—وربما لا تُنالُ أصلًا؛ أمّا في كِرْتِّيفاسا فتُنالُ الموكشا في ولادةٍ واحدة.
Lord Kūrma (Viṣṇu) instructing sages/seekers on tīrtha-māhātmya
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
FAQs
By emphasizing mokṣa as the ultimate human goal, the verse implies that liberation is the realization of the Self beyond repeated birth; the sacred kṣetra is presented as an exceptional aid that accelerates that realization.
The verse is framed as tīrtha-māhātmya: it highlights kṣetra-sevā (holy-place discipline) as a powerful support for sādhana—such as japa, vrata, śiva-bhakti, and inner renunciation—aligned with Pāśupata-oriented purification leading toward mokṣa.
Viṣṇu (as Lord Kūrma) proclaims the extraordinary salvific power of Śiva’s abode, reflecting the Purāṇic synthesis where devotion to Śiva and the grace spoken by Viṣṇu converge toward the same non-dual goal: mokṣa.