Kurma Purana — Uttara Bhaga, Shloka 79
Daily Duties of Brāhmaṇas: Snāna, Sandhyā, Sūrya-hṛdaya, Japa, Tarpaṇa, and the Pañca-mahāyajñas
जपकाले न भाषेत नान्यानि प्रेक्षयेद् बुधः / न कम्पयेच्छिरोग्रीवां दन्तान्नैव प्रकाशयेत्
japakāle na bhāṣeta nānyāni prekṣayed budhaḥ / na kampayecchirogrīvāṃ dantānnaiva prakāśayet
عند وقت جَپا المانترا، لا يتكلم الحكيم ولا يلتفت إلى أشياء أخرى. ولا يهزّ رأسه أو عنقه، ولا يُظهر أسنانه.
Lord Kūrma (Vishnu) instructing on yogic discipline (japa-vidhi)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka
FAQs
By insisting on silence and non-distraction during japa, the verse points to inward absorption (ekāgratā) where the mind withdraws from external display and movement—conditions supportive of recognizing the steady, witness-like Self beyond speech and sensory agitation.
It teaches practical japa-sādhana: observe mauna (no talking), avoid visual distraction, maintain bodily stillness (especially head and neck), and keep the mouth relaxed without expressive gestures—classic aids to dhāraṇā and mantra-niṣṭhā emphasized in Kurma Purana–style yoga discipline.
Though not naming Shiva explicitly, the instruction reflects the shared yogic ethic found across Shaiva (including Pāśupata) and Vaishnava traditions: disciplined japa and inner steadiness as a common path, aligning with the Kurma Purana’s integrative (Shaiva–Vaishnava) spiritual framework.