Narmadā-tīrtha-māhātmya — Bhṛgu-tīrtha to Sāgara-saṅgama
Pilgrimage Circuit, Gifts, Fasting, and Imperishable Merit
ततो गच्छेत राजेन्द्र आलिकातीर्थमुत्तमम् / उपोष्य रजनीमेकां नियतो नियताशनः / अस्य तीर्थस्य माहात्म्यान्मुच्यते ब्रह्महत्यया
tato gaccheta rājendra ālikātīrthamuttamam / upoṣya rajanīmekāṃ niyato niyatāśanaḥ / asya tīrthasya māhātmyānmucyate brahmahatyayā
அதன்பின், அரசே, உத்தமமான ஆலிகா தீர்த்தத்திற்குச் செல்ல வேண்டும். ஒரு இரவு உபவாசம் இருந்து, கட்டுப்பாட்டுடன் அளவான உணவில் நிலைத்து, இந்த தீர்த்தத்தின் மகிமையால் பிரம்மஹத்த்யா பாவத்திலிருந்து விடுபடுவான்.
Sūta (narrating to the assembled sages, conveying the Purāṇic injunctions on tīrtha-yātrā)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: karuna
This verse is primarily karmic and ritual-ethical: it teaches purification through vow, restraint, and tīrtha-mahātmyā rather than offering a direct ātman-metaphysics statement.
The practice emphasized is niyama-like discipline: upavāsa (fasting), niyata (self-restraint), and niyatāśana (regulated diet). In Purāṇic yoga-dharma, such restraint supports inner purity and steadiness conducive to sādhana.
It does not explicitly name Śiva or Viṣṇu; instead, it reflects the Kurma Purāṇa’s integrative dharma: liberation from heavy sin is linked to sacred geography and disciplined conduct, a framework shared across Śaiva and Vaiṣṇava tīrtha traditions.