Kurma Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 55
Avimukta-Māhātmya — Vyāsa in Vārāṇasī and Śiva’s Secret Teaching of Liberation
यत्र योगस्तथा ज्ञानं मुक्तिरेकेन जन्मना / अविमुक्तं समासाद्य नान्यद् गच्छेत् तपोवनम्
yatra yogastathā jñānaṃ muktirekena janmanā / avimuktaṃ samāsādya nānyad gacchet tapovanam
Di mana ada Yoga dan pengetahuan pembebasan, di situ ada pelepasan dalam satu kehidupan. Setelah mencapai Avimukta (Kāśī), janganlah pergi ke mana-mana hutan tapa yang lain.
Lord Kurma (Vishnu) instructing in a tīrtha-māhātmya context
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
FAQs
It implies that mokṣa is attained through the union of yoga (inner discipline) and jñāna (liberating insight), pointing to realization rather than mere ritual travel—awakening to the Self as the ground of freedom.
The verse foregrounds yoga as a sādhanā paired with jñāna—suggesting sustained practice (restraint, contemplation, and inner absorption) culminating in liberating knowledge, a hallmark of the Kurma Purana’s yoga-oriented teaching.
By exalting Avimukta (a Śaiva tīrtha) while spoken within a Vaiṣṇava Purāṇa voice (Kurma/Vishnu), it models the Purana’s non-sectarian synthesis: the same mokṣa is affirmed through shared yoga-jñāna principles across Śaiva and Vaiṣṇava frames.