Kurma Purana — Uttara Bhaga, Shloka 23
Daily Duties of Brāhmaṇas: Snāna, Sandhyā, Sūrya-hṛdaya, Japa, Tarpaṇa, and the Pañca-mahāyajñas
संमार्ज्य मन्त्रैरात्मानं कुशैः सोदकबिन्दुभिः / आपो हिष्ठा व्याहृतिभिः सावित्र्या वारुणैः शुभैः
saṃmārjya mantrairātmānaṃ kuśaiḥ sodakabindubhiḥ / āpo hiṣṭhā vyāhṛtibhiḥ sāvitryā vāruṇaiḥ śubhaiḥ
Man reinige sich durch Mantras, indem man Kuśa-Gras verwendet, das mit Wassertropfen besprengt ist. Dann vollziehe man die Läuterung mit dem Hymnus „Āpo hi ṣṭhā“, mit den vyāhṛti, mit der Sāvitrī (Gāyatrī) und mit den glückverheißenden Varuṇa-Mantras.
Narratorial instruction within the ritual-teaching discourse of the Kurma Purana (traditionally transmitted by Vyasa/Suta framework; the teaching is aligned with Lord Kurma’s dharma-vidhi)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
FAQs
It treats the embodied “self” (ātmānam) as fit for higher realization only after śauca—purification of body-mind through mantra and sacred water—showing that inner clarity is a prerequisite for approaching the Supreme.
It emphasizes preparatory sādhana: mantra-japa (Sāvitrī/Gāyatrī), ritually consecrated sprinkling (prokṣaṇa) with kuśa and water, and alignment with ṛta through Varuṇa-mantras—disciplines that stabilize the practitioner before deeper Pāśupata-oriented worship and contemplation.
By grounding practice in shared Vedic mantras and purification rites, it reflects the Kurma Purana’s synthetic approach: devotion and discipline are presented as common dharmic foundations supporting both Vaiṣṇava and Śaiva modes of realization.