Narmadā-tīrtha-māhātmya — Bhṛgu-tīrtha to Sāgara-saṅgama
Pilgrimage Circuit, Gifts, Fasting, and Imperishable Merit
कार्तिके मासि देवेशमर्चयेत् पार्वतीपतिम् / अश्वमेधाद् दशगुणं प्रवदन्ति मनीषिणः
kārtike māsi deveśamarcayet pārvatīpatim / aśvamedhād daśaguṇaṃ pravadanti manīṣiṇaḥ
No mês de Kārtika, deve-se adorar o Senhor dos deuses—Śiva, consorte de Pārvatī. Os sábios declaram que o mérito (desse culto) é dez vezes maior que o do sacrifício Aśvamedha.
Purāṇic narrator (Vyāsa/Śaunaka-style narration) teaching the merit of Kartika worship of Śiva
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
It implies that supreme merit comes through devotion to Devēśa (Śiva), pointing to the Purāṇic teaching that the highest reality is approached by worship of Īśvara rather than by external ritual alone.
The verse foregrounds vrata-based sādhana—disciplined worship in Kārtika—supporting the Kurma Purana’s broader emphasis on regulated devotion (niyama), purity, and one-pointed reverence as a practical limb of spiritual practice.
By placing supreme efficacy in Śiva-worship within the Kurma Purana’s Vaiṣṇava frame, it reflects the text’s synthesis: devotion to Śiva is upheld as fully consonant with devotion to the Supreme, aligning Śiva and Viṣṇu within a unified Īśvara-tattva.