Kurma Purana — Uttara Bhaga, Shloka 48
Śrāddha-vidhi for Pitṛs: Invitations, Purity, Offerings, and Conduct
अग्न्यभावे तु विप्रस्य पाणावेवोपपादयेत् / महादेवान्तिके वाथ गोष्ठे वा सुसमाहितः
agnyabhāve tu viprasya pāṇāvevopapādayet / mahādevāntike vātha goṣṭhe vā susamāhitaḥ
فإن لم يتوفر للبراهمن نارٌ مقدّسة، فليؤدِّه في كفّيه المضمومتين كالكأس؛ أو، وهو حسنُ التجمّع، فليؤدِّه بحضرة مهاديڤا، أو في حظيرة البقر.
Sūta (narrating the Kurma Purana’s dharma-vidhi section to the sages at Naimiṣāraṇya)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
FAQs
Indirectly, it emphasizes inner steadiness (su-samāhitaḥ) as essential for efficacy: when external supports like fire are absent, the rite is upheld through disciplined awareness, pointing to the primacy of inner consecration over mere externals.
The verse highlights samādhāna/mental collectedness (su-samāhitaḥ)—a yogic requirement that steadies attention so that substitute rites (performed in the palms, near a sanctified presence, or in a pure place like a goṣṭha) remain valid through focused intention.
By allowing performance 'near Mahādeva' as an authorized sanctifying context, the text reflects the Kurma Purana’s Shaiva–Vaishnava harmony: Śiva functions as a sacred witness and purifier within a broader Purāṇic dharma framework associated with Hari/Kūrma.