Kurma Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 17

Prayāga–Gaṅgā Tīrtha-māhātmya and Rules of Pilgrimage

Yātrā-vidhi

Devanagari script

एवं दृष्ट्वा तु तत् तीर्थं प्रयागं परमं पदम् / मुच्यते सर्वपापेभ्यः शशाङ्क इव राहुणा

Transliteration

evaṃ dṛṣṭvā tu tat tīrthaṃ prayāgaṃ paramaṃ padam / mucyate sarvapāpebhyaḥ śaśāṅka iva rāhuṇā

Translation

Vì thế, chỉ cần chiêm ngưỡng thánh địa ấy—Prayāga, nơi tối thượng—là được giải thoát khỏi mọi tội lỗi, như vầng trăng thoát khỏi sự nắm giữ của Rāhu.

Word by Word

• evam: thus
• evam: Sambandha (सम्बन्धः)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: evam (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रकारवाचक-अव्यय (adverb): thus

• dṛṣṭvā: having seen
• dṛṣṭvā: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √dṛś (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (gerund/absolutive): having seen

• tu: indeed
• tu: Sambandha (सम्बन्धः)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (particle): but/indeed

• tat: that
• tat: Visheshana (विशेषणम्)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम-विशेषण, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘तीर्थम्’ इति विशेषणम्

• tīrtham: holy place
• tīrtham: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tīrtha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/कर्म), एकवचन

• prayāgam: Prayāga
• prayāgam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prayāga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘तीर्थम्’ इति समानाधिकरणम् (apposition)

• paramam: supreme
• paramam: Visheshana (विशेषणम्)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: parama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; ‘पदम्’ इति विशेषणम्

• padam: state/abode
• padam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pada (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/कर्म), एकवचन

• mucyate: is freed
• mucyate: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √muc (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive): is released

• sarva-pāpebhyaḥ: from all sins
• sarva-pāpebhyaḥ: Apadana (अपादानम्)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक) + pāpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (Ablative/अपादान), बहुवचन; कर्मधारयः ‘सर्वाणि पापानि’

• śaśāṅkaḥ: the moon
• śaśāṅkaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śaśāṅka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• iva: like
• iva: Sambandha (सम्बन्धः)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iva (अव्यय)
• Form: उपमार्थक-अव्यय (particle of comparison)

• rāhuṇā: by Rāhu
• rāhuṇā: Karana (करणम्)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rāhu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (Instrumental/करण), एकवचन

Speaker

Sūta (narrator) recounting the Kurma Purana’s tirtha-mahātmya teaching within the dialogue tradition of sages

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Characters & Entities

• Prayaga
• Tirtha
• Shashanka (Moon)
• Rahu

More Details (4 sections)

FAQs

How does this verse explain the nature of the Supreme Self (Atman)?

Indirectly: it presents purification (release from pāpa) as a prerequisite for higher realization; the “supreme station” (paramaṃ padam) hints that sacred contact and inner purity support progress toward the highest goal, i.e., knowledge of the Self.

What Yoga or Meditative practices are highlighted here?

The verse emphasizes tirtha-darśana (sacred beholding) as a purificatory limb supporting sādhanā; in Kurma Purana’s broader yoga-ethic, such purification complements restraint (yama/niyama), devotion, and contemplative practice leading toward liberation.

How does this verse depict the relationship between Shiva and Vishnu?

By focusing on Prayāga’s universal sanctity rather than sectarian exclusivity, it aligns with the Kurma Purana’s integrative stance: sacred tirthas function as shared gateways to purification and liberation within a Shaiva–Vaishnava synthesis.