Kurma Purana — Uttara Bhaga, Shloka 4
Tīrtha-Māhātmya and the Discipline of Pilgrimage (Tīrtha-sevā) within Prāyaścitta
तीर्थानां च परं तीर्थं वितस्ता परमा नदी / सर्वपापहरा पुण्या स्वयमेव गिरीन्द्रजा
tīrthānāṃ ca paraṃ tīrthaṃ vitastā paramā nadī / sarvapāpaharā puṇyā svayameva girīndrajā
Sa lahat ng mga tirtha, ang Vitastā ang pinakadakila; sa mga ilog, siya ang pinakamataas. Banal at nagbibigay ng biyaya, winawalis niya ang lahat ng kasalanan—siya nga ang anak na dalaga ng Panginoon ng mga Bundok (Himālaya), na nahayag sa sariling kapangyarihan.
Narrator in the Kurma Purana’s tirtha-mahatmya context (Puranic discourse tradition, commonly framed through Suta/Vyasa-style narration)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
FAQs
Indirectly: it frames purification (pāpa-kṣaya) through contact with a sacred tirtha, preparing the seeker for higher knowledge of the Self taught elsewhere in the Kurma Purana.
No technique is described explicitly; the verse emphasizes śuddhi (purification) through tirtha-sevā—pilgrimage, bathing, and reverent conduct—often treated as supportive disciplines that steady the mind for Yoga and devotion.
Not explicitly; it reflects the Purana’s integrative spirit by presenting sacred geography and purity as universal aids to dharma and liberation, compatible with both Shaiva (Pāśupata) and Vaishnava devotional frameworks.