Kurma Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 34
Vārāṇasī (Avimukta) Māhātmya and the Catalogue of Guhya-Tīrthas
सूत उवाच यः पठेदविमुक्तस्य माहात्म्यं शृणुयादपि / श्रावयेद् वा द्विजान् शान्तान् सो ऽपियातिपराङ्गतिम्
sūta uvāca yaḥ paṭhedavimuktasya māhātmyaṃ śṛṇuyādapi / śrāvayed vā dvijān śāntān so 'piyātiparāṅgatim
سوت نے کہا—جو اوِمُکت (کاشی) کی عظمت کا پاٹھ کرے، یا اسے سنے، یا پُرسکون دِویجوں کو سنوائے—وہ بھی اعلیٰ ترین حالت کو پا لیتا ہے۔
Sūta
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
FAQs
By promising the “highest state” (parāṅgati) through śravaṇa and pāṭha of sacred mahātmya, the verse implies liberation is accessible through purifying knowledge-devotion that turns awareness toward the Supreme—rather than through mere outward ritual alone.
The verse highlights śravaṇa (hearing), pāṭha (recitation), and śrāvaṇa/adhyāpana (causing others to hear)—disciplines that cultivate sattva and śānti (calmness), aligning with Purāṇic yoga as a path of focused attention, devotional recollection, and inner purification.
By elevating Avimukta (a Śaiva tīrtha) as a means to the supreme goal within the Kurma Purana (a Vaiṣṇava framework with Śaiva synthesis), it reflects the text’s harmony: devotion to Śiva’s sacred realm and Purāṇic teaching leads to the same highest liberation upheld by the broader Vishnu-centered Purāṇic vision.