Shloka 96
Devadāru (Dāruvana) Forest: The Delusion of Ritual Pride, the Liṅga Crisis, and the Teaching of Jñāna–Pāśupata Yoga
दन्तो ऽलूखलिनस्त्वन्ये ह्यश्मकुट्टास्तथा परे / शाकपर्णाशिनः केचित् संप्रक्षाला मरीचिपाः
danto 'lūkhalinastvanye hyaśmakuṭṭāstathā pare / śākaparṇāśinaḥ kecit saṃprakṣālā marīcipāḥ
منهم من يحيى بما يقدر أن يمضغه بأسنانه وحدها، ومنهم من يدقّ الطعام في الهاون، ومنهم من يسحقه بالحجارة. ومنهم من يقتات بالخضار والأوراق، ومنهم من لا يأكل إلا بعد غسل ما يأكله غسلاً تامّاً، ومنهم من يقوم عيشه على شرب أشعة الشمس وحدها—زهدٌ هو غاية التقشّف.
Narrator (Purāṇic discourse describing varieties of tapasvins/ascetic observances within the Kurma Purana’s dharma-tapas context)
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
FAQs
Indirectly: it emphasizes that seekers adopt graded austerities to refine the mind and senses; such purification supports Atman-realization, even though the verse itself is primarily descriptive of tapas.
It highlights tapas (austerity) as a yogic limb—dietary restraint and disciplined living. These are preparatory practices that steady the body-mind for deeper meditation and devotion in the Kurma Purana’s broader yoga-dharma framework.
Not explicitly in this verse. In the Kurma Purana’s overall Shaiva-Vaishnava synthesis, such tapas is presented as compatible with devotion to the one Supreme—whether approached as Śiva or Viṣṇu—through disciplined purification.