Shloka 4
Narmadā-tīrtha-māhātmya — Bhṛgu-tīrtha to Sāgara-saṅgama
Pilgrimage Circuit, Gifts, Fasting, and Imperishable Merit
क्षरन्ति सर्वदानानि यज्ञदानं तपः क्रिया / अक्षयं तत् तपस्तप्तं भृगुतीर्थे युधिष्ठिर
kṣaranti sarvadānāni yajñadānaṃ tapaḥ kriyā / akṣayaṃ tat tapastaptaṃ bhṛgutīrthe yudhiṣṭhira
ทานทั้งปวงย่อมเสื่อมสิ้น ทั้งทานในยัญญะ ตบะ และกิจกรรมทางธรรมก็ไม่เที่ยง แต่โอ้ ยุธิษฐิระ ตบะที่บำเพ็ญ ณ ภฤคุตีรถะนั้นให้ผลอันไม่เสื่อมสูญ
A Purāṇic narrator addressing Yudhiṣṭhira (instruction on tīrtha-māhātmya)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
FAQs
Indirectly: it contrasts perishable external acts with imperishable fruit born of tapas, implying that inner transformation and steady discipline align one with the enduring (akṣaya) reality rather than transient results.
Tapas (austerity/discipline) is foregrounded as the decisive sādhana. In Kurma Purana’s wider Yoga-shāstra tone, tapas supports purification, restraint, and concentrated practice—often treated as superior to merely transactional ritual merit.
By elevating tapas beyond sectarian ritual categories, the verse fits the Kurma Purana’s synthesizing approach: imperishable spiritual fruit comes from disciplined sādhana at sacred spaces revered across traditions, harmonizing Śaiva and Vaiṣṇava paths in practice.