Kurma Purana — Uttara Bhaga, Shloka 15
Bhojana-vidhi and Nitya-karman: Directions for Eating, Prāṇa-Oblations, Sandhyā, and Conduct Leading to Apavarga
नाद्यात् सूर्यग्रहात् पूर्वमह्नि सायं शशिग्रहात् / ग्रहकाले च नाश्नीयात् स्नात्वाश्नीयात् तु मुक्तयोः
nādyāt sūryagrahāt pūrvamahni sāyaṃ śaśigrahāt / grahakāle ca nāśnīyāt snātvāśnīyāt tu muktayoḥ
Man soll am frühen Tag vor einer Sonnenfinsternis nicht essen und am Abend vor einer Mondfinsternis ebenfalls nicht. Während der Finsternis soll man nicht essen; ist sie vorüber, bade man zur Reinigung und nehme dann Speise zu sich.
Traditionally framed as instruction within the Kurma Purana’s dharma-teachings (narrator voice in the Purana, conveying grahaṇa-ācāra).
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka
FAQs
This verse is primarily a dharma-śāstra style rule about purity during eclipses; it does not directly define Ātman, but it supports inner discipline (niyama) by regulating food and purification, which traditional yoga texts treat as conducive to clarity of mind for Self-knowledge.
The verse emphasizes restraint (upavāsa/abstinence from eating during grahaṇa) and purification (snāna after the eclipse). In the broader Kurma Purana ethos, such śauca and self-control function as preparatory limbs supporting japa, meditation, and Pāśupata-oriented observances.
It does not explicitly mention Shiva or Vishnu; however, the Kurma Purana’s synthesis frames dharma and purity rules as universally applicable disciplines that support devotion and yoga across Shaiva-Vaishnava practice, aligning outer conduct with inner spiritual aims.