Shloka 26
Narmadā-tīrtha-māhātmya — Bhṛgu-tīrtha to Sāgara-saṅgama
Pilgrimage Circuit, Gifts, Fasting, and Imperishable Merit
वृषभं यः प्रयच्छेत तत्र कुन्देन्दुसप्रभम् / वृषयुक्तेन यानेन रुद्रलोकं स गच्छति
vṛṣabhaṃ yaḥ prayaccheta tatra kundendusaprabham / vṛṣayuktena yānena rudralokaṃ sa gacchati
Wer dort einen Stier spendet, leuchtend wie Jasmin und Mond, gelangt in Rudras Welt, getragen von einem von Stieren gezogenen Wagen.
Traditional Purāṇic narrator (Sūta) conveying a dharma-teaching on dāna; ultimately grounded in Vyāsa’s compilation style.
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
FAQs
It does not directly define Ātman; instead, it teaches karmic causality (dāna → puṇya → higher loka). In the Kurma Purana’s broader synthesis, such merit supports purification that later culminates in yogic knowledge of the Self.
No explicit yoga practice is taught in this verse; it highlights dāna as a dharmic discipline that purifies conduct and supports eligibility for higher teachings (including Pāśupata-oriented devotion and yogic restraint elsewhere in the text).
By presenting Rudra-loka as a legitimate and exalted goal within a Purana that also honors Viṣṇu/Kūrma, it reflects the Kurma Purana’s integrative Shaiva–Vaishnava outlook: devotion and dharma can lead to Śiva’s realm without sectarian contradiction.