Kurma Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 5
Yamunā–Gaṅgā Tīrtha-Māhātmya: Agni-tīrtha, Anaraka, Prayāga, and the Tapovana of Jāhnavī
कृष्णपक्षे चतुर्दश्यां स्नात्वा संतर्पयेच्छुचिः / धर्मराजं महापापैर्मुच्यते नात्र संशयः
kṛṣṇapakṣe caturdaśyāṃ snātvā saṃtarpayecchuciḥ / dharmarājaṃ mahāpāpairmucyate nātra saṃśayaḥ
Am vierzehnten Mondtag (caturdaśī) der dunklen Monatshälfte soll man, nach dem Bad und in Reinheit, Dharmarāja Tarpana (Wasserlibation) darbringen; dadurch wird man von großen Sünden befreit—daran besteht kein Zweifel.
Sūta (narrating Purāṇic instruction to the sages at Naimiṣāraṇya, within the Kurma Purana’s dharma-teaching frame)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: karuna
FAQs
This verse is primarily dharma-practice oriented: it teaches karmic purification through snāna and tarpana to Dharmarāja. It implies a moral order (dharma) governing action and consequence, within which spiritual purification supports higher realization.
No direct meditation technique is taught here; the practice is ritual purification (snāna) and tarpana. In the Kurma Purana’s broader Shaiva–Vaishnava synthesis, such niyama-like disciplines support inner purity that complements Yoga and devotion.
It does not explicitly discuss Shiva–Vishnu unity; it focuses on Dharmarāja and expiation through prescribed rites. In the Kurma Purana’s overall theology, these dharma duties function alongside devotion to Īśvara, integrating ritual order with spiritual liberation.