Kurma Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 28

Prayāga–Gaṅgā Tīrtha-māhātmya and Rules of Pilgrimage

Yātrā-vidhi

Devanagari script

कोटितीर्थं समाश्रित्य यस्तु प्राणान् परित्यजेत् / कोटिवर्षसहस्त्राणि स्वर्गलोके महीयते

Transliteration

koṭitīrthaṃ samāśritya yastu prāṇān parityajet / koṭivarṣasahastrāṇi svargaloke mahīyate

Translation

ଯେ କୋଟିତୀର୍ଥକୁ ଆଶ୍ରୟ କରି ସେଠାରେ ପ୍ରାଣତ୍ୟାଗ କରେ, ସେ ସ୍ୱର୍ଗଲୋକରେ କୋଟି-ସହସ୍ର ବର୍ଷ ପର୍ଯ୍ୟନ୍ତ ସମ୍ମାନିତ ହୁଏ।

Word by Word

• कोटि-तीर्थम्: the Koṭi-tīrtha (sacred ford)
• कोटि-तीर्थम्: Adhikarana (अधिकरण) (locative sense via absolutive construction: 'having resorted to')
• Type: Noun
• Root: कोटि (प्रातिपदिक) + तीर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2 विभक्ति), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः: कोटीनां तीर्थम्)

• समाश्रित्य: having taken refuge in / having resorted to
• समाश्रित्य: Kriya (क्रिया) (पूर्वकर्म/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-आ-श्रि (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (अव्ययभाव/gerund), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया; ‘having resorted to/approached’

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1 विभक्ति), एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक (relative pronoun)

• तु: indeed / but
• तु: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), विरोध/विशेषार्थक

• प्राणान्: life-breaths; life
• प्राणान्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्राण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2 विभक्ति), बहुवचन

• परित्यजेत्: should abandon / should give up
• परित्यजेत्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: परि-त्यज् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), प्रथमपुरुष? actually तृतीयपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• कोटि-वर्ष-सहस्त्राणि: thousands of crores of years
• कोटि-वर्ष-सहस्त्राणि: Kala-adhikarana (कालाधिकरण) (duration/extent)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कोटि (प्रातिपदिक) + वर्ष (प्रातिपदिक) + सहस्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2 विभक्ति), बहुवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (संख्याविशेषण-सम्बन्ध: कोट्या वर्षाणां सहस्राणि)

• स्वर्ग-लोके: in the heavenly world
• स्वर्ग-लोके: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वर्ग (प्रातिपदिक) + लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7 विभक्ति), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः: स्वर्गस्य लोकः)

• महीयते: is honored / is glorified
• महीयते: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मह् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), तृतीयपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; आत्मनेपद; कर्मणि/भावे प्रयोगः (is honored/glorified)

Speaker

Narrator in the tīrtha-māhātmya section (Kurma Purana tradition: a purāṇic speaker praising the tīrtha’s merit, within the broader dialogue framework)

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Characters & Entities

• Koṭitīrtha
• Svarga

More Details (4 sections)

FAQs

How does this verse explain the nature of the Supreme Self (Atman)?

This verse does not directly teach ātma-jñāna; it emphasizes tīrtha-māhātmya—karmic merit (puṇya) gained through sacred place-association, resulting in heavenly honor rather than explicit liberation (mokṣa).

What Yoga or Meditative practices are highlighted here?

No specific yoga practice is prescribed in this line; the focus is pilgrimage-dharma—seeking refuge in a tīrtha. In Kurma Purana’s broader framework, such acts support purification (śuddhi) that can complement later disciplines like japa, dhyāna, and Pāśupata-oriented devotion.

How does this verse depict the relationship between Shiva and Vishnu?

This verse is neutral on Śiva–Viṣṇu theology; it presents a shared purāṇic principle accepted across Shaiva-Vaishnava synthesis: sacred tīrthas confer puṇya and exalted post-mortem states, functioning within a unified dharma worldview.