Kurma Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 76
Avimukta-Māhātmya — Vyāsa in Vārāṇasī and Śiva’s Secret Teaching of Liberation
तस्मात् सर्वप्रयत्नेन वाराणस्यां वसेन्नरः / योगी वाप्यथवायोगी पापी वा पुण्यकृत्तमः
tasmāt sarvaprayatnena vārāṇasyāṃ vasennaraḥ / yogī vāpyathavāyogī pāpī vā puṇyakṛttamaḥ
Oleh itu, dengan segala upaya, seseorang hendaklah tinggal di Vārāṇasī—sama ada dia seorang yogin atau bukan yogin, sama ada berdosa atau paling tekun berbuat kebajikan.
Lord Kurma (Vishnu) instructing about tirtha-mahatmya and dharmic means for purification
Primary Rasa: vira
Secondary Rasa: shanta
FAQs
Indirectly: it teaches that liberation-oriented purification is accessible to all dispositions; residence in a moksha-kshetra like Varanasi supports the inward turning toward the Atman beyond moral and social distinctions.
No specific technique is prescribed; instead, the verse broadens eligibility—yogin or non-yogin—implying that kshetra-seva (living in a sacred place with dharmic conduct) can assist yoga by reducing karmic obstacles and supporting steady contemplation.
By presenting Varanasi—traditionally associated with Shiva—as a universally efficacious moksha-kshetra within a Vishnu-spoken Purana, it reflects the Kurma Purana’s non-sectarian synthesis where Shaiva sacred geography is affirmed within Vaishnava revelation.