Kurma Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 19
Prayāga–Gaṅgā Tīrtha-māhātmya and Rules of Pilgrimage
Yātrā-vidhi
तत्र गत्वा नरः स्थानं महादेवस्य धीमतः / आत्मानं तारयेत् पूर्वं दशातीतान् दशापरान्
tatra gatvā naraḥ sthānaṃ mahādevasya dhīmataḥ / ātmānaṃ tārayet pūrvaṃ daśātītān daśāparān
وہاں جا کر دانا مہادیو کے مقدس دھام میں انسان پہلے اپنا اُدھار کرے؛ اسی پُنّیہ سے وہ اپنے دس پچھلے پُرکھوں اور دس آنے والی نسلوں کو بھی تار دیتا ہے۔
Lord Kurma (Vishnu) instructing King Indradyumna / sages in a tirtha-mahatmya context
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: karuna
FAQs
It treats liberation as an inward crossing-over: one must first uplift and purify oneself (ātmānaṁ tārayet pūrvam), implying that self-realization and self-discipline are primary, and only then does one’s spiritual merit extend outward to family lines.
The verse points to tīrtha-sevā and Śiva-sthāna-darśana as supportive disciplines—pilgrimage, reverential approach, and inner purification—consistent with Purāṇic yoga as a synthesis of devotion (bhakti), ethical restraint, and contemplative intent aimed at mokṣa.
With Lord Kūrma as the narrator praising Mahādeva’s abode, the text models Shaiva–Vaishnava harmony: Viṣṇu (as Kūrma) endorses Śiva-centered pilgrimage as a valid path to liberation, reflecting the Kurma Purana’s integrative theology.