Kurma Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 34
Vārāṇasī (Avimukta) Māhātmya and the Catalogue of Guhya-Tīrthas
सूत उवाच यः पठेदविमुक्तस्य माहात्म्यं शृणुयादपि / श्रावयेद् वा द्विजान् शान्तान् सो ऽपियातिपराङ्गतिम्
sūta uvāca yaḥ paṭhedavimuktasya māhātmyaṃ śṛṇuyādapi / śrāvayed vā dvijān śāntān so 'piyātiparāṅgatim
സൂതൻ പറഞ്ഞു—അവിമുക്ത (കാശി)യുടെ മഹാത്മ്യം ആരെങ്കിലും പാരായണം ചെയ്യുകയോ, കേൾക്കുകയോ, അല്ലെങ്കിൽ ശാന്തരായ ദ്വിജന്മാർക്ക് കേൾപ്പിക്കുകയോ ചെയ്താൽ, അവനും പരമഗതിയെ പ്രാപിക്കും।
Sūta
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
FAQs
By promising the “highest state” (parāṅgati) through śravaṇa and pāṭha of sacred mahātmya, the verse implies liberation is accessible through purifying knowledge-devotion that turns awareness toward the Supreme—rather than through mere outward ritual alone.
The verse highlights śravaṇa (hearing), pāṭha (recitation), and śrāvaṇa/adhyāpana (causing others to hear)—disciplines that cultivate sattva and śānti (calmness), aligning with Purāṇic yoga as a path of focused attention, devotional recollection, and inner purification.
By elevating Avimukta (a Śaiva tīrtha) as a means to the supreme goal within the Kurma Purana (a Vaiṣṇava framework with Śaiva synthesis), it reflects the text’s harmony: devotion to Śiva’s sacred realm and Purāṇic teaching leads to the same highest liberation upheld by the broader Vishnu-centered Purāṇic vision.