Kurma Purana — Uttara Bhaga, Shloka 36
Tīrtha-māhātmya and Rudra’s Samanvaya Teaching
Maṅkaṇaka Episode
अन्यत् कोकामुखं विष्णोस्तीर्थमद्भुतकर्मणः / मृतो ऽत्र पातकैर्मुक्तो विष्णुसारूप्यमाप्नुयात्
anyat kokāmukhaṃ viṣṇostīrthamadbhutakarmaṇaḥ / mṛto 'tra pātakairmukto viṣṇusārūpyamāpnuyāt
विष्णु का एक और तीर्थ ‘कोकामुख’ नाम से प्रसिद्ध है, जिसकी शक्ति अद्भुत है। जो वहाँ देह त्यागता है, वह पापों से मुक्त होकर विष्णु-सारूप्य (समान रूप) मुक्ति पाता है।
Sūta (narrator) recounting the tirtha-mahatmya as taught in the Purana’s dialogue tradition
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
FAQs
Indirectly: it frames liberation as attaining Viṣṇu’s sāyujya-type proximity through sārūpya (sharing the divine form), implying the Supreme is the final refuge beyond sin and karmic limitation.
This verse emphasizes tīrtha-sevā and sacred death (kṣetra-maraṇa) as a purificatory means; in the Kurma Purana’s broader teaching, such external dharma supports inner disciplines (japa, dhyāna, and devotion) leading toward mokṣa.
While explicitly Vaiṣṇava (Viṣṇu-tīrtha and Viṣṇu-sārūpya), the Kurma Purana’s overall synthesis treats tīrtha, dharma, and liberation as shared aims across Śaiva-Vaiṣṇava streams, harmonizing pilgrimage merit with yoga and devotion.