Kurma Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 22
Vārāṇasī (Avimukta) Māhātmya and the Catalogue of Guhya-Tīrthas
स्नात्वाभ्यर्च्य परं लिङ्गं शिष्यैः सह महामुनिः / उवाच शिष्यान् धर्मात्मा स्वान् देशान् गन्तुमर्हथा
snātvābhyarcya paraṃ liṅgaṃ śiṣyaiḥ saha mahāmuniḥ / uvāca śiṣyān dharmātmā svān deśān gantumarhathā
وبعد أن اغتسل وعبدَ مع تلاميذه اللِّنگا الأسمى، قال الماهاموني ذو الروح الدارمية لتلاميذه: «الآن يليق بكم أن تنطلقوا إلى أقاليمكم».
Narrator (Purāṇic narration); the direct speech is by the Mahāmuni to his disciples.
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: vira
FAQs
By centering worship on the “Supreme Liṅga,” the verse points to a transcendent principle beyond mere form—an emblem of the highest reality approached through purified conduct (snāna) and devotion.
It highlights preparatory discipline rather than seated meditation: ritual purity (bathing), focused worship (abhyarcana), and obedience to the guru’s instruction—foundational supports for Pāśupata-leaning Śaiva sādhanā in the Kurma Purana.
While explicitly Śaiva in its object (the Supreme Liṅga), the Kurma Purana’s broader synthesis frames such worship as devotion to the supreme reality; sectarian form becomes a doorway to the same highest principle honored across Śaiva–Vaiṣṇava theology.