Shloka 65
Avimukta-Māhātmya — Vyāsa in Vārāṇasī and Śiva’s Secret Teaching of Liberation
महापातकिनो ये च ये तेभ्यः पापकृत्तमाः / वाराणसीं समासाद्य ते यान्ति परमां गतिम्
mahāpātakino ye ca ye tebhyaḥ pāpakṛttamāḥ / vārāṇasīṃ samāsādya te yānti paramāṃ gatim
Bahkan mereka yang melakukan dosa besar, bahkan yang lebih jahat daripada mereka—apabila sampai ke Vārāṇasī (Kāśī), mereka mencapai keadaan tertinggi.
Lord Kurma (Vishnu) speaking to Indradyumna (tirtha-mahatmya discourse context)
Primary Rasa: karuna
Secondary Rasa: shanta
FAQs
By declaring “paramā gati” attainable even for grave sinners through Kāśī, the verse points to mokṣa as the highest end—union with the Supreme Reality—where karmic bondage is transcended by the sanctifying power of a sacred kṣetra aligned with the Lord.
This verse itself emphasizes kṣetra-mahātmyam (the liberating potency of a tīrtha) rather than a specific technique; in Kurma Purana’s broader framework, such tīrtha-upāsanā supports purification (citta-śuddhi) that complements Shaiva-Vaishnava devotion and yoga-oriented discipline leading toward mokṣa.
By presenting Kāśī—classically associated with Śiva—as a place whose grace grants “supreme attainment” within a Vaiṣṇava narration (Lord Kūrma’s teaching), the Purana implies a non-competitive, integrated Shaiva-Vaishnava sacred geography where liberation is upheld as one.