Kurma Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 42
Prayāga-māhātmya — The Greatness of Prayāga and the Discipline of Pilgrimage
गङ्गायमुनयोर्मध्ये यस्तु ग्रामं प्रतीच्छति / सुवर्णमथ मुक्तां वा तथैवान्यान् प्रतिग्रहान्
gaṅgāyamunayormadhye yastu grāmaṃ pratīcchati / suvarṇamatha muktāṃ vā tathaivānyān pratigrahān
Mais quiconque, dans la contrée entre la Gaṅgā et la Yamunā, accepte en don un village—ou reçoit de l’or, des perles ou d’autres présents—commet une lourde faute, car une telle réception est blâmée en cette terre sacrée.
Sūta (narrator) conveying the Kurma Purana’s teaching on dāna-dharma
Primary Rasa: raudra
Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka
FAQs
This verse is primarily ethical rather than metaphysical: it frames purity of conduct (especially non-greed in sacred spaces) as supportive of inner purity, which the Purana elsewhere treats as necessary for realizing the Self.
No specific āsana or meditation is taught here; instead it stresses yama-like restraint—non-possessiveness and freedom from greed—presented as a dharmic discipline that protects spiritual practice in holy regions.
It does not directly mention Śiva or Viṣṇu; its contribution to the Kurma Purana’s synthesis is indirect—upholding tīrtha-dharma and ethical restraint as shared foundations for both Śaiva (including Pāśupata) and Vaiṣṇava spiritual paths.