Shloka 17
Narmadā-tīrtha-māhātmya — Bhṛgu-tīrtha to Sāgara-saṅgama
Pilgrimage Circuit, Gifts, Fasting, and Imperishable Merit
ततो गच्छेत राजेन्द्र शिखितीर्थमनुत्तमम् / यत् तत्र दीयते दानं सर्वं कोटिगुणं भवेत्
tato gaccheta rājendra śikhitīrthamanuttamam / yat tatra dīyate dānaṃ sarvaṃ koṭiguṇaṃ bhavet
Dann, o bester der Könige, soll man zur unvergleichlichen Śikhitīrtha schreiten. Welche Gabe (dāna) man dort auch immer darbringt—gleich welcher Art—wird millionenfach an Verdienst.
Lord Kurma (Vishnu) instructing King Indradyumna (tirtha-yatra discourse context)
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
FAQs
It does not directly define Ātman; it emphasizes dharma in practice—pilgrimage and dāna—as merit-amplifying supports that purify the mind, a prerequisite for higher knowledge in the Purāṇic (including Ishvara-Gītā) framework.
No specific yogic technique is described; the verse highlights tīrtha-sevā and dāna as auxiliary disciplines (aṅga-upāya) that cultivate sattva and devotion, supporting the broader Kurma Purana path that integrates devotion, ritual duty, and yogic restraint.
Implicitly, it reflects the Kurma Purana’s synthesis: sacred geography and dharma (tīrtha and dāna) function within a shared Purāṇic religious universe where Vaiṣṇava narration (Kurma/Vishnu) affirms practices honored across Shaiva-Vaishnava traditions.