Kurma Purana — Uttara Bhaga, Shloka 20
Vānaprastha-Dharma: Forest Discipline, Vaikhānasa Austerities, and Śiva-Āśrama as the Liberative Refuge
मृगैः सह चरेद् वासं तैः सहैव च संवसेत् / शिलायां शर्करायां वा शयीत सुसमाहितः
mṛgaiḥ saha cared vāsaṃ taiḥ sahaiva ca saṃvaset / śilāyāṃ śarkarāyāṃ vā śayīta susamāhitaḥ
وليَسكن ويتحرّك في الغابة مع الظباء، عائشًا كما تعيش؛ ثمّ وهو ساكن القلب تامّ اليقظة، فليضطجع للراحة على صخرةٍ عارية أو على حصىً ورملٍ خشن.
Vyasa (narratorial instruction within the Kurma Purana’s dharma-yoga teaching context)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
FAQs
By stressing “susaṃāhitaḥ” (deep composure), the verse points to inner stabilization as the doorway to Self-knowledge—when outer comforts are minimized, attention can turn inward toward the witnessing Atman.
It highlights austerity (tapas) and sense-restraint through simple living—moving quietly in nature and sleeping on rock or gravel—supporting a collected mind (samāhita) suitable for meditation and disciplined yoga practice.
Indirectly: the Purana’s Shiva–Vishnu synthesis is reflected in shared yogic ideals—renunciation, tapas, and mental concentration—valued across both Shaiva (Pāśupata) and Vaishnava devotional-yogic frameworks.