Kurma Purana — Uttara Bhaga, Shloka 36
Tīrtha-māhātmya and Rudra’s Samanvaya Teaching
Maṅkaṇaka Episode
अन्यत् कोकामुखं विष्णोस्तीर्थमद्भुतकर्मणः / मृतो ऽत्र पातकैर्मुक्तो विष्णुसारूप्यमाप्नुयात्
anyat kokāmukhaṃ viṣṇostīrthamadbhutakarmaṇaḥ / mṛto 'tra pātakairmukto viṣṇusārūpyamāpnuyāt
विष्णूचे ‘कोकामुख’ नावाचे आणखी एक तीर्थ आहे, अद्भुत सामर्थ्याने प्रसिद्ध. जो तेथे देहत्याग करतो तो पापमुक्त होऊन विष्णुसारूप्य (समान रूप) मुक्ती प्राप्त करतो.
Sūta (narrator) recounting the tirtha-mahatmya as taught in the Purana’s dialogue tradition
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
FAQs
Indirectly: it frames liberation as attaining Viṣṇu’s sāyujya-type proximity through sārūpya (sharing the divine form), implying the Supreme is the final refuge beyond sin and karmic limitation.
This verse emphasizes tīrtha-sevā and sacred death (kṣetra-maraṇa) as a purificatory means; in the Kurma Purana’s broader teaching, such external dharma supports inner disciplines (japa, dhyāna, and devotion) leading toward mokṣa.
While explicitly Vaiṣṇava (Viṣṇu-tīrtha and Viṣṇu-sārūpya), the Kurma Purana’s overall synthesis treats tīrtha, dharma, and liberation as shared aims across Śaiva-Vaiṣṇava streams, harmonizing pilgrimage merit with yoga and devotion.