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
Nachdem er gebadet und zusammen mit seinen Schülern den höchsten Liṅga verehrt hatte, sprach der große Weise, im Geist der Dharma gefestigt, zu seinen Schülern: „Nun sollt ihr in eure eigenen Gegenden aufbrechen.“
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.