Kurma Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 2

Vārāṇasī (Avimukta) Māhātmya and the Catalogue of Guhya-Tīrthas

Devanagari script

प्रयागं परमं तीर्थं प्रयागादधिकं शुभम् / विश्वरूपं तथा तीर्थं तालतीर्थमनुत्तमम्

Transliteration

prayāgaṃ paramaṃ tīrthaṃ prayāgādadhikaṃ śubham / viśvarūpaṃ tathā tīrthaṃ tālatīrthamanuttamam

Translation

Prayāga ist das höchste Tīrtha; und es gibt auch einen glückverheißenden heiligen Ort, der noch gesegneter ist als Prayāga. Ebenso sind das Viśvarūpa-Tīrtha und das unvergleichliche Tāla-Tīrtha zu verehren.

Word by Word

• prayāgam: Prayāga
• prayāgam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prayāga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative); एकवचन

• paramam: supreme
• paramam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: parama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचन; विशेषण

• tīrtham: pilgrimage place
• tīrtham: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tīrtha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचन

• prayāgāt: than/from Prayāga
• prayāgāt: Apādāna (अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prayāga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative); एकवचन

• adhikam: greater
• adhikam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: adhika (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचन; तुलनावाचक (comparative sense)

• śubham: auspicious
• śubham: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śubha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचन; विशेषण

• viśvarūpam: Viśvarūpa (tīrtha)
• viśvarūpam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: viśva + rūpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचन; तीर्थनाम (name of a tīrtha)

• tathā: also
• tathā: Samuccaya (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय/तुल्यतार्थक (also/likewise)

• tīrtham: pilgrimage place
• tīrtham: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tīrtha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचन

• tālatīrtham: Tāla-tīrtha
• tālatīrtham: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tāla + tīrtha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचन; तीर्थनाम

• anuttamam: unsurpassed
• anuttamam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: anuttama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया; एकवचन; विशेषण (superlative sense: unsurpassed)

Speaker

Lord Kurma (Vishnu) instructing about Tirthas (contextual tirtha-mahatmya narration)

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: bhakti

Characters & Entities

• Prayaga
• Vishvarupa Tirtha
• Tala Tirtha

More Details (4 sections)

FAQs

How does this verse explain the nature of the Supreme Self (Atman)?

Indirectly: by exalting tīrthas like Prayāga as “parama,” the verse points to places where the mind becomes purified and fit to recognize the Supreme—i.e., the Self that is realized through inner clarity rather than mere travel.

What Yoga or Meditative practices are highlighted here?

The verse emphasizes tīrtha-sevā and tīrtha-yātrā as purificatory disciplines that support sādhanā—preparing the aspirant for japa, dhyāna, and the integrated Shaiva–Vaishnava devotion found elsewhere in the Kurma Purana.

How does this verse depict the relationship between Shiva and Vishnu?

By treating sacred geography as universally auspicious (not sectarian), it aligns with the Kurma Purana’s synthetic outlook: tīrthas are honored as channels of one Supreme reality, approachable through both Shaiva and Vaishnava frames.