Kurma Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 63
Avimukta-Māhātmya — Vyāsa in Vārāṇasī and Śiva’s Secret Teaching of Liberation
वाराणस्याः परं स्थानं न भूतं न भविष्यति / यत्र नारायणो देवो महादेवो दिवेश्वरः
vārāṇasyāḥ paraṃ sthānaṃ na bhūtaṃ na bhaviṣyati / yatra nārāyaṇo devo mahādevo diveśvaraḥ
Tiada tempat suci yang lebih luhur daripada Vārāṇasī—tidak pernah ada dan tidak akan ada—sebab di sana Nārāyaṇa sendiri hadir, dan Mahādeva, Penguasa para dewa, pun bersemayam sebagai Raja Ilahi.
Sūta (narrating the Kurma Purana’s tirtha-mahatmya tradition to the sages)
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
FAQs
By declaring Kāśī as the unsurpassed abode where both Nārāyaṇa and Mahādeva are present, the verse points to a single supreme reality revered through multiple divine forms—suggesting an underlying unity rather than competing ultimates.
The verse itself is a tirtha-mahātmya statement, implying a yogic discipline of pilgrimage, remembrance (smaraṇa), and single-pointed devotion (ekāgratā) in a sanctified space—supporting inner purification that complements Pāśupata and other yoga-oriented teachings found elsewhere in the Kurma Purana.
It places Nārāyaṇa and Mahādeva together in the same supreme locus, reinforcing the Kurma Purana’s Hari-Hara synthesis: Śiva and Viṣṇu are honored as mutually non-opposed manifestations of divine sovereignty.