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
Mit Tugenden begabt, von schöner Gestalt, gelehrt und von süßer Rede, genießt er reichliche weltliche Freuden; doch am Ende kehrt er wieder zu eben jenem heiligen Tīrtha zurück, um dort erneut Zuflucht und Verdienst zu suchen.
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.