Prayāga-māhātmya — The Greatness of Prayāga and the Discipline of Pilgrimage
यानि तीर्थानि तत्रैव विश्रुतानि महान्ति वै / इदानीं कथयास्माकं सूत सर्वार्थविद् भवान्
yāni tīrthāni tatraiva viśrutāni mahānti vai / idānīṃ kathayāsmākaṃ sūta sarvārthavid bhavān
ഹേ സൂതാ! നീ സകലാർത്ഥവും അറിയുന്നവൻ; അവിടെ പ്രസിദ്ധമായ മഹത്തായ തീർത്ഥങ്ങൾ ഏതൊക്കെയുണ്ടോ, അവ ഇപ്പോൾ ഞങ്ങൾക്ക് വിവരിക്കൂ.
Sages (Rishis) addressing Suta
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
This verse does not directly define Ātman; it frames a traditional Purāṇic inquiry where sacred tīrthas are sought as supports for purification and right understanding that later culminate in spiritual knowledge.
No specific yoga technique is stated here; the verse introduces tīrtha-kathā (teaching on pilgrimage sites), which in the Kurma Purana functions as a preparatory discipline—purifying conduct and intent—supportive of later yoga and dharma instructions.
This verse itself is neutral and narrative; by requesting tīrtha-teachings from Sūta, it participates in the Kurma Purana’s broader integrative framework where tīrthas and dharma are shared sacred ground across Shaiva-Vaishnava traditions.