Narmadā-māhātmya: Amarakāṇṭaka, Jāleśvara, Kapilā–Viśalyakaraṇī, and the Supreme Purifying Power of Darśana
अनाशकं तु यः कुर्यात् तस्मिंस्तीर्थे नराधिप / सर्वपापविशुद्धात्मा रुद्रलोकं स गच्छति
anāśakaṃ tu yaḥ kuryāt tasmiṃstīrthe narādhipa / sarvapāpaviśuddhātmā rudralokaṃ sa gacchati
Wahai raja, siapa melakukan puasa (tanpa makan) di tirtha itu, jiwanya tersucikan dari segala dosa dan ia menuju alam Rudra.
Lord Kurma (Vishnu) instructing King Indradyumna (tirtha and vrata merits in a Shaiva-Vaishnava synthesis)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
It frames inner purification (viśuddhātmā) as the key spiritual result of disciplined observance; the cleansed inner self becomes fit for higher states/realms, implying that ethical-ascetic purification is a prerequisite for realizing or approaching the highest divine order.
The practice emphasized is vrata-discipline through fasting at a tīrtha—an austerity aligned with yogic self-restraint (yama/niyama-like restraint), used in the Kurma Purana’s broader program of purification that supports Pāśupata-leaning devotion and inner steadiness.
With Vishnu (as Lord Kūrma) teaching that a tīrtha-fast leads to Rudra’s realm, the text presents a complementary path where Vaiṣṇava instruction validates Śaiva attainment—typical of the Kurma Purana’s Shaiva-Vaishnava synthesis.