Shloka 19
Narmadā–Tīrtha-Māhātmya: Sequence of Sacred Fords and Their Fruits
ऋणतीर्थं ततो गच्छेत् स ऋणान्मुच्यते ध्रुवम् / महेश्वरं ततो गच्छेत् पर्याप्तं जन्मनः फलम्
ṛṇatīrthaṃ tato gacchet sa ṛṇānmucyate dhruvam / maheśvaraṃ tato gacchet paryāptaṃ janmanaḥ phalam
پھر رِṇ-تیرتھ جانا چاہیے؛ اس سے وہ یقیناً قرضوں سے آزاد ہو جاتا ہے۔ اس کے بعد مہیشور جانا چاہیے؛ وہاں زندگی کی پیدائش کا پھل پوری طرح کامل ہو جاتا ہے۔
Sūta (narrating the Kurma Purana’s tirtha-mahātmya to the sages at Naimiṣāraṇya)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: vira
FAQs
Indirectly, by framing human life as meant for a culminating spiritual “fruit”: pilgrimage and Śiva-darśana symbolize moving from obligation-bound action (ṛṇa) toward inner completion, where the purpose of embodied existence is fulfilled.
This verse emphasizes tīrtha-yātrā as a dharmic discipline: purification through sacred geography, vow-based conduct, and devotion (bhakti) that supports inner steadiness—an outer aid aligned with the Kurma Purana’s broader yoga-oriented ethic.
Even within a Vaiṣṇava Purāṇa framework, the instruction to seek Maheśvara presents Śiva-worship as spiritually consummating, reflecting the Kurma Purana’s non-sectarian synthesis where devotion to Śiva and the overarching dharma lead to the same completeness.