Kurma Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 5
Divine Abodes on the Mountains — A Sacred Survey of Jambūdvīpa
Kailāsa to Siddha Realms
मन्दाकिनी तत्र दिव्या रम्या सुविमलोदका / नदी नानाविधैः पद्मैरनेकैः समलङ्कृता
mandākinī tatra divyā ramyā suvimalodakā / nadī nānāvidhaiḥ padmairanekaiḥ samalaṅkṛtā
There flows the Mandākinī—divine and delightful—whose waters are exceedingly pure. That river is beautifully adorned with many lotuses of diverse kinds.
Narrator (Purāṇic voice describing the tīrtha; traditionally within the Kurma Purana’s dialogue frame)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
FAQs
Indirectly: by emphasizing extraordinary purity (suvimala) and sacred beauty, the verse supports the Purāṇic idea that tīrthas function as outer symbols for inner purification—preparing the mind for Self-knowledge (ātma-jñāna).
No explicit technique is taught in this verse; however, it frames a tīrtha-setting where practices like स्नान (ritual bathing), जप (mantra repetition), and ध्यान (meditation) are traditionally undertaken to cultivate śauca (purity) and steadiness—foundational to Yoga-shāstra disciplines.
This particular verse is descriptive and does not explicitly mention Śiva or Viṣṇu; it contributes to the shared Purāṇic sacred-geography framework in which both Śaiva and Vaiṣṇava traditions honor tīrthas as supports for purification and devotion.