Kurma Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 21
Sapta-dvīpa Cosmography and the Vision of Śvetadvīpa–Vaikuṇṭha
धुतपापा शिवा चैव पवित्रा संमता तथा / विद्युदम्भा मही चेति नद्यस्तत्र जलावहाः
dhutapāpā śivā caiva pavitrā saṃmatā tathā / vidyudambhā mahī ceti nadyastatra jalāvahāḥ
Là, les rivières qui portent les eaux se nomment Dhutapāpā, Śivā, Pavitrā, Saṃmatā, Vidyudambhā et Mahī — des cours d’eau qui s’écoulent en cette contrée sacrée.
Sūta (narrator) recounting the Purāṇic description to the sages at Naimiṣāraṇya
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
FAQs
Indirectly: it emphasizes purification through sacred geography—sin-destroying rivers—supporting the Purāṇic path where inner purity (śuddhi) prepares one for knowledge of the Self taught elsewhere in the Kurma Purana.
The verse points to tīrtha-sevā—approaching sacred waters for purification—often paired in Purāṇic practice with japa, vrata, and worship; such outer disciplines support the inner yogic goal of steadiness and purity central to Pāśupata-oriented sādhanā.
By naming a river ‘Śivā’ within a Vaiṣṇava-leaning Purāṇa’s tīrtha section, it reflects the Kurma Purana’s integrative spirit where auspiciousness and sanctity are shared across Śaiva and Vaiṣṇava sacred frameworks.