Narmadā–Tīrtha-Māhātmya: Sequence of Sacred Fords and Their Fruits
नन्दितीर्थं ततो गच्छेत् स्नानं तत्र समाचरेत् / प्रीयते तस्य नन्दीशः सोमलोके महीयते
nanditīrthaṃ tato gacchet snānaṃ tatra samācaret / prīyate tasya nandīśaḥ somaloke mahīyate
Dann soll man nach Nanditīrtha gehen und dort das heilige Bad ordnungsgemäß vollziehen; durch diese Tat wird Nandīśa (Śiva, der Herr Nandins) erfreut, und man wird im Reich Somas (der Mondwelt) geehrt.
Lord Kurma (Vishnu) instructing on tirtha-mahatmya
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: bhakti
Indirectly: it teaches that inner purity and devotion expressed through dharmic acts (like tīrtha-snānā) align the seeker with Īśvara’s grace; the Atman’s uplift is shown through divine pleasure and higher-loka attainment.
The verse emphasizes karma-yoga in a purificatory form—tīrtha-gamana and snāna performed with niyama (proper observance). In the Kurma Purana’s spiritual framework, such disciplined purity supports later meditation, mantra, and Pāśupata-oriented devotion.
Vishnu (as Kūrma) teaches reverence for Śiva (Nandīśa), reflecting the Purana’s Shaiva–Vaishnava harmony: devotion to one form of Īśvara is affirmed through honoring the other’s sacred spaces and grace.