Kurma Purana — Uttara Bhaga, Shloka 1
Narmadā-māhātmya: Amarakāṇṭaka, Jāleśvara, Kapilā–Viśalyakaraṇī, and the Supreme Purifying Power of Darśana
इति श्रीकूर्मपुराणे षट्साहस्त्र्यां संहितायामुपरिविभागे सप्तत्रिंशो ऽध्यायः सूत उवाच एषा पुण्यतमा देवी देवगन्धर्वसेविता / नर्मदा लोकविख्याता तीर्थानामुत्तमा नदी
iti śrīkūrmapurāṇe ṣaṭsāhastryāṃ saṃhitāyāmuparivibhāge saptatriṃśo 'dhyāyaḥ sūta uvāca eṣā puṇyatamā devī devagandharvasevitā / narmadā lokavikhyātā tīrthānāmuttamā nadī
এইভাবে শ্রীকূর্মপুরাণের ষট্সাহস্ত্রী সংহিতার উত্তরবিভাগে সাঁইত্রিশতম অধ্যায় সমাপ্ত। সূত বললেন—এই দেবী-নদী পরম পবিত্রা, দেব ও গন্ধর্বগণ কর্তৃক সেবিতা; লোকবিখ্যাত নর্মদা সর্ব তীর্থের মধ্যে শ্রেষ্ঠা নদী।
Sūta
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
FAQs
This verse is primarily a tīrtha-mahātmya statement: it teaches purification through sacred geography rather than directly defining Ātman; implicitly, it supports the Purāṇic view that purity of mind and conduct—assisted by tīrtha-sevā—prepares one for higher knowledge taught elsewhere (e.g., the Upari-bhāga’s Ishvara Gītā).
No specific yogic technique is prescribed in this śloka; it emphasizes tīrtha-sevā (reverent approach to a sacred river) as an auxiliary discipline that supports śauca (purity) and sattva—conditions valued in Yoga-śāstra and in the Kurma Purana’s broader spiritual program.
The verse does not explicitly mention Śiva or Viṣṇu; however, by declaring the Narmadā a “devī” revered by divine beings, it aligns with the Kurma Purana’s integrative Purāṇic spirituality where sacred places and powers are honored across sectarian lines, supporting Shaiva–Vaishnava synthesis in practice.