Svāyambhuva Lineage to Dakṣa; Pṛthu’s Devotion; Pāśupata Saṃnyāsa; Dakṣa–Satī Episode
भस्मोद्धूलितसर्वाङ्गः कन्दमूलफलाशनः / शान्तो दान्तो जितक्रोधः संन्यासविधिमाश्रितः
bhasmoddhūlitasarvāṅgaḥ kandamūlaphalāśanaḥ / śānto dānto jitakrodhaḥ saṃnyāsavidhimāśritaḥ
وقد غطّى جسده كلَّه بالبهسما (الرماد المقدّس)، وعاش على الدرنات والجذور والثمار؛ هادئًا، منضبطًا، قاهرًا للغضب—مقيمًا على نظام السَّنْياسا (الزهد والترك) المقرّر.
Lord Kurma (Vishnu) instructing on dharma and the renunciate ideal within a Shaiva-Vaishnava synthesis
Primary Rasa: shanta
By emphasizing peace, restraint, and victory over anger, the verse points to inner purification: the Atman is approached not by ritual display alone but by mastery of the mind and passions, which reveals the serene Self.
It highlights practical disciplines aligned with Pashupata-leaning asceticism: bhasma-dhāraṇa (ash as a sign of detachment), mitāhāra/simple diet (roots and fruits), and core yamas such as śama (peace) and dama (sense-control), culminating in saṃnyāsa-vidhi as a structured yogic life.
The use of bhasma and ascetic markers commonly associated with Shaiva practice, taught here under Lord Kurma’s authority, reflects the Kurma Purana’s non-sectarian synthesis: Vishnu upholds disciplines honored in Shaiva traditions as valid means toward liberation.