Narmadā–Tīrtha-Māhātmya: Sequence of Sacred Fords and Their Fruits
अयोध्यां तु समासाद्य तीर्थं शक्रस्य विश्रुतम् / स्नातमात्रो नरस्तत्र गोसहस्रफलं लभेत्
ayodhyāṃ tu samāsādya tīrthaṃ śakrasya viśrutam / snātamātro narastatra gosahasraphalaṃ labhet
Tendo alcançado Ayodhyā—o tīrtha célebre associado a Śakra (Indra)—o homem que apenas se banha ali obtém o mérito equivalente à dádiva de mil vacas.
Suta (narrator) conveying the Kurma Purana’s tirtha-mahatmya tradition
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Indirectly: it emphasizes purification through tīrtha-snāna; in Purāṇic synthesis, outer purification supports inner clarity for realizing the Self, though this verse itself focuses on merit (puṇya) rather than explicit ātma-jñāna.
The practice implied is tīrtha-snāna (ritual bathing) as a preparatory discipline—supporting śauca (purity) and faith (śraddhā), which in the Kurma tradition complement higher sādhanā such as devotion and yogic contemplation taught elsewhere.
It does not explicitly mention Śiva–Viṣṇu unity; it reflects the Kurma Purana’s broader integrative frame where sacred places and rites are shared means of purification across Shaiva–Vaishnava practice, here linked to Indra’s renowned tīrtha.