Kurma Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 5
Prayāga–Gaṅgā Tīrtha-māhātmya and Rules of Pilgrimage
Yātrā-vidhi
ऐश्वर्याल्लोभमोहाद् वा गच्छेद् यानेन यो नरः / निष्फलं तस्य तत् तीर्थं तसमाद्यानं विवर्जयेत्
aiśvaryāllobhamohād vā gacched yānena yo naraḥ / niṣphalaṃ tasya tat tīrthaṃ tasamādyānaṃ vivarjayet
若有人因炫示富贵、或为贪欲与迷妄所驱而乘车前往圣渡处（tīrtha），则其朝圣于他便成无果；故当远离此等因虚荣与执著而起的乘车之行。
Sūta (narrating the Purāṇic teaching as received from the sages, presenting tīrtha-yātrā dharma)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: bibhatsa
FAQs
By declaring a pilgrimage “fruitless” when driven by greed or delusion, the verse implies that spiritual fruit depends on inner purification and right intention—qualities that turn the mind toward the Self rather than toward egoic display.
It highlights yama-like ethical restraint—renouncing vanity, greed, and delusion—as a prerequisite for any sādhana. The Kurma Purana’s broader yogic ethic treats outer acts (like tīrtha-yātrā) as effective only when aligned with vairāgya and self-discipline.
This verse is primarily ethical (tīrtha-dharma) rather than sectarian; its emphasis on inner purity matches the Kurma Purana’s synthesis where devotion and discipline—whether framed in Shaiva or Vaishnava idiom—are validated by the same standard of motive and renunciation.