Kurma Purana — Uttara Bhaga, Shloka 16
Tīrtha-Māhātmya: Mahālaya, Kedāra, Rivers and Fords, and Devadāru Forest
Akṣaya-Karma Doctrine
पवित्रसलिला पुण्या कावेरी विपुला नदी / तस्यां स्नात्वोदकं कृत्वा मुच्यते सर्वपातकैः / त्रिरात्रोपोषितेनाथ एकरात्रोषितेन वा
pavitrasalilā puṇyā kāverī vipulā nadī / tasyāṃ snātvodakaṃ kṛtvā mucyate sarvapātakaiḥ / trirātropoṣitenātha ekarātroṣitena vā
Kāverī adalah sungai luas; airnya menyucikan dan penuh kebajikan. Dengan mandi di dalamnya dan melakukan upacara persembahan air (udaka), seseorang terbebas dari segala dosa—baik berpuasa tiga malam maupun hanya menjalani laku satu malam.
Sūta (narrator) recounting the tirtha-mahatmya within the Kurma Purana’s discourse
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
FAQs
Indirectly: it frames purification (snāna, udaka-kriyā, upavāsa) as preparatory dharma that removes pāpa-obstructions, making the mind fit for higher knowledge of the Self taught elsewhere in the Kurma Purana.
Not a seated-yoga instruction, but a yogic prerequisite: śauca (purity) through tirtha-snana, ritual water-offerings, and upavāsa (fasting/observance) to refine discipline (niyama) and support later contemplative practice.
It does not explicitly name Shiva or Vishnu; instead it reflects the Purana’s integrative dharma framework where tirtha-based purification supports devotion and realization across Shaiva-Vaishnava paths within the Kurma tradition.