Kurma Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 18
Prayāga–Gaṅgā Tīrtha-māhātmya and Rules of Pilgrimage
Yātrā-vidhi
कम्बलाश्वतरौ नागौ यमुनादक्षिणे तटे / तत्र स्नात्वा च पीत्वा च मुच्यते सर्वपातकैः
kambalāśvatarau nāgau yamunādakṣiṇe taṭe / tatra snātvā ca pītvā ca mucyate sarvapātakaiḥ
Sur la rive méridionale de la Yamunā se tiennent les deux Nāgas, Kambala et Aśvatara. Celui qui s’y baigne et en boit l’eau est délivré de tous les péchés.
Suta (narrator) reporting the Kurma Purana’s tirtha-mahatmya teaching in a sage-dialogue setting
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
FAQs
Indirectly: it emphasizes purification (removal of pāpa) as a preparatory aid for clarity of mind (śuddhi), which supports realizing the Self; the verse itself focuses on tirtha-merit rather than defining Ātman.
It highlights preliminary discipline—tīrtha-snāṇa (ritual bathing) and pāna (drinking consecrated water)—as forms of śauca and prāyaścitta that traditionally support steadiness for japa, dhyāna, and Pāśupata-oriented self-restraint taught elsewhere in the Kurma Purana.
Not explicitly; it reflects the Purana’s integrative dharma framework where sacred places and purificatory acts are shared across Shaiva and Vaishnava practice, serving the same goal of inner purification leading toward liberation.