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
ไม่ว่าปราศจากความปรารถนาหรือมีความปรารถนา ผู้ใดสิ้นชีวิตในคงคา ย่อมเกิดใหม่ในสวรรค์ และไม่ประสบเห็นนรก
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.