Daily Duties of Brāhmaṇas: Snāna, Sandhyā, Sūrya-hṛdaya, Japa, Tarpaṇa, and the Pañca-mahāyajñas
नोत्पाटयेद्दन्तकाष्टंनाङ्गुल्या धावयेत् क्वचित् / प्रक्षाल्य भङ्क्त्वा तज्जह्याच्छुचौदेशे समाहितः
notpāṭayeddantakāṣṭaṃnāṅgulyā dhāvayet kvacit / prakṣālya bhaṅktvā tajjahyācchucaudeśe samāhitaḥ
Man soll das Zahnreinigungsstäbchen nicht gewaltsam herausreißen und die Zähne niemals mit dem Finger scheuern. Nachdem man es abgespült hat, soll man es zerbrechen und an einem reinen Ort ablegen, mit gefasstem, gesammeltem Geist.
Narrator (Purāṇic instruction; traditionally Sūta conveying the teaching of sages)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Indirectly, it teaches that steadiness and inner cleanliness (samāhitaḥ) support Self-knowledge: disciplined outer conduct is treated as a prerequisite for the contemplative life that leads toward realizing the Atman.
The verse emphasizes śauca (purity) and samādhāna (composure). Such regulated habits are framed as preparatory observances that stabilize the mind for japa, dhyāna, and the broader yogic discipline praised throughout the Kurma Purana.
It does not name Shiva or Vishnu explicitly; instead, it reflects the shared dharmic foundation honored in Shaiva-Vaishnava synthesis—purity and self-control as universal prerequisites for devotion, worship, and yoga directed to the Supreme.