Kurma Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 22
Prayāga–Gaṅgā Tīrtha-māhātmya and Rules of Pilgrimage
Yātrā-vidhi
ब्रह्मचारी जितक्रोधस्त्रिरात्रं यदि तिष्ठति / सर्वपापविशुद्धात्मा सो ऽश्वमेधफलं लभेत्
brahmacārī jitakrodhastrirātraṃ yadi tiṣṭhati / sarvapāpaviśuddhātmā so 'śvamedhaphalaṃ labhet
If a vow-bound brahmacārin, having conquered anger, maintains the discipline for three nights, then—his inner being purified of all sins—he attains merit equal to the fruit of an Aśvamedha sacrifice.
Traditional Purana narrator (Suta/Vyasa lineage) describing vrata-phala within Kurma Purana’s dharma teaching
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: vira
FAQs
It implies that inner purification (viśuddhātmā)—achieved through self-restraint and anger-control—makes the practitioner fit for higher realization; ritual merit is shown as attainable through inner discipline, pointing to the primacy of purified consciousness.
The verse highlights yama-like restraints central to Yoga-shastra—brahmacarya (continence) and krodha-jaya (mastery over anger)—practiced as a timed vrata (three nights), aligning tapas and ethical control with spiritual purification.
While not naming them directly, it reflects the Kurma Purana’s synthetic stance: the same supreme dharma is upheld across Shaiva and Vaishnava frames—inner restraint and tapas are valued as universally efficacious, not limited to sectarian ritual identity.