Kurma Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 38
Prayāga–Gaṅgā Tīrtha-māhātmya and Rules of Pilgrimage
Yātrā-vidhi
अकामो वा सकामो वा गङ्गायां यो विपद्यते / स मृतो जायते स्वर्गे नरकं च न पश्यति
akāmo vā sakāmo vā gaṅgāyāṃ yo vipadyate / sa mṛto jāyate svarge narakaṃ ca na paśyati
Sama ada tanpa keinginan atau penuh keinginan, sesiapa yang menemui ajal di Sungai Gaṅgā akan lahir semula di syurga dan tidak melihat neraka.
Lord Kurma (Vishnu) instructing the sages (tirtha-mahatmya context)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
FAQs
Indirectly: it frames liberation-oriented merit through sacred association (Gaṅgā). The verse emphasizes karmic purification and divine grace rather than a direct Atman-definition, aligning with the Purana’s soteriology where right contact (tirtha, devotion) supports higher states.
No specific yogic technique is taught in this line; instead it highlights tīrtha-sevā and sacred death (tīrtha-maraṇa) as a purificatory path. In Kurma Purana’s broader framework, such purification complements dharma, japa, and contemplative disciplines associated with Pāśupata and Ishvara-centered practice.
The verse itself names only Gaṅgā, but its theology fits the Kurma Purana’s synthesis: sacred rivers and tīrthas are upheld as universally purifying within a shared Shaiva–Vaishnava devotional cosmos, where grace and merit operate across sectarian boundaries.