Kurma Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 13
Prayāga-māhātmya and Ṛṇa-pramocana-tīrtha — Māgha-snāna, Austerities, and Release from Debts
गुणवान् रूपसंपन्नो विद्वान् सुप्रियवाक्यवान् / भुक्त्वा तु विपुलान् भोगांस्तततीर्थं भजते पुनः
guṇavān rūpasaṃpanno vidvān supriyavākyavān / bhuktvā tu vipulān bhogāṃstatatīrthaṃ bhajate punaḥ
مُتَّصفًا بالفضائل، حسنَ الهيئة، عالمًا عذبَ الكلام، يتمتّع بلذّاتٍ دنيويةٍ وافرة؛ غير أنّه في النهاية يعود ثانيةً إلى ذلك التيرثا المقدّس بعينه، يلتمس ملاذه ويطلب ثوابه من جديد.
Sūta (narrating to the sages at Naimiṣāraṇya) within a tীর্থ-माहात्म्य passage
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
FAQs
By contrasting temporary enjoyments with the repeated return to a tīrtha, the verse implies that lasting fulfillment lies beyond sensory bhoga and is sought through purifying dharma-practices that orient the mind toward the higher Self.
The verse emphasizes tīrtha-sevana (resorting to sacred places) as a purificatory discipline supporting inner yoga—restraint, sattva-increase, and devotion—preparing the practitioner for deeper meditation taught elsewhere in the Kurma Purana’s yoga-oriented sections.
While not naming either deity, it reflects the Purana’s integrative approach: tīrthas are shared sacred spaces where sectarian boundaries soften, and devotion (bhajana) is directed toward the one supreme reality honored through both Shaiva and Vaishnava forms.