Kurma Purana — Uttara Bhaga, Shloka 23
Tīrtha-Māhātmya and the Discipline of Pilgrimage (Tīrtha-sevā) within Prāyaścitta
ऋणानि त्रीण्यपाकृत्य कुर्याद् वा तीर्थसेवनम् / विधाय वृत्तिं पुत्राणां भार्यां तेषु निधाय च
ṛṇāni trīṇyapākṛtya kuryād vā tīrthasevanam / vidhāya vṛttiṃ putrāṇāṃ bhāryāṃ teṣu nidhāya ca
Nachdem man die drei Schulden (gegenüber den Devas, den ṛṣis und den Ahnen) beglichen hat, mag man den Dienst und die Pilgerschaft zu den tīrthas aufnehmen; und nachdem man den Lebensunterhalt der Söhne geordnet und die Gattin ihrer Obhut anvertraut hat, soll man entsprechend dem Dharma aufbrechen.
Traditional narrator within the Kurma Purana’s dharma-teaching discourse (speaker not explicit from this single verse segment)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: vira
FAQs
Indirectly: it frames purification through dharma—clearing obligations and stabilizing family duties—as a prerequisite for higher spiritual pursuit that culminates in Self-knowledge.
It emphasizes preparatory discipline (niyama-like foundations): fulfilling ṛṇa-traya (debts to sages, gods, and ancestors) and then tīrtha-sevana as a purifying regimen that supports later yogic practice.
Not explicitly; it reflects the Purana’s shared dharma-framework used across Shaiva and Vaishnava paths—ethical completion of duties before intensified sādhanā.