Shloka 19
Narmadā–Tīrtha-Māhātmya: Sequence of Sacred Fords and Their Fruits
ऋणतीर्थं ततो गच्छेत् स ऋणान्मुच्यते ध्रुवम् / महेश्वरं ततो गच्छेत् पर्याप्तं जन्मनः फलम्
ṛṇatīrthaṃ tato gacchet sa ṛṇānmucyate dhruvam / maheśvaraṃ tato gacchet paryāptaṃ janmanaḥ phalam
त्यानंतर ऋणतीर्थास जावे; त्यामुळे तो निश्चयाने ऋणातून मुक्त होतो. मग महेश्वरास जावे; तेथे जन्माचे फळ पूर्णपणे सिद्ध होते.
Sūta (narrating the Kurma Purana’s tirtha-mahātmya to the sages at Naimiṣāraṇya)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: vira
FAQs
Indirectly, by framing human life as meant for a culminating spiritual “fruit”: pilgrimage and Śiva-darśana symbolize moving from obligation-bound action (ṛṇa) toward inner completion, where the purpose of embodied existence is fulfilled.
This verse emphasizes tīrtha-yātrā as a dharmic discipline: purification through sacred geography, vow-based conduct, and devotion (bhakti) that supports inner steadiness—an outer aid aligned with the Kurma Purana’s broader yoga-oriented ethic.
Even within a Vaiṣṇava Purāṇa framework, the instruction to seek Maheśvara presents Śiva-worship as spiritually consummating, reflecting the Kurma Purana’s non-sectarian synthesis where devotion to Śiva and the overarching dharma lead to the same completeness.