Kurma Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 36
Prayāga-māhātmya — The Greatness of Prayāga and the Discipline of Pilgrimage
तदेव स्मरते तीर्थं स्मरणात् तत्र गच्छति / देशस्थो यदि वारण्ये विदेशे यदि वा गृहे
tadeva smarate tīrthaṃ smaraṇāt tatra gacchati / deśastho yadi vāraṇye videśe yadi vā gṛhe
Indem man sich an eben jene heilige Furt (tīrtha) erinnert, erlangt man durch das Erinnern selbst den Zustand des „Dorthingehens“ — ob man im eigenen Land ist, in der Wildnis, in der Fremde oder sogar daheim.
Lord Kurma (Vishnu) instructing sages (Kurma Purana tirtha-mahatmya context)
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
FAQs
It implies an inward, consciousness-based access to sacred merit: the decisive factor is inner recollection (smaraṇa), aligning spiritual attainment with the mind’s orientation rather than only physical movement—consistent with Purāṇic yoga where inner devotion and awareness carry transformative power.
The verse highlights smaraṇa (contemplative remembrance) as a practical discipline: mentally fixing the tīrtha (and implicitly its presiding deity) functions like a meditative pilgrimage, suitable for those constrained by distance, duty, or circumstance.
While not naming them directly, it reflects the Kurma Purana’s integrative approach: sacred merit is accessed through devotional-yogic remembrance of a tīrtha and its divine presence, a principle applied across both Vaiṣṇava and Śaiva tīrthas in the text’s synthesis.