Kurma Purana — Uttara Bhaga, Shloka 35
Vānaprastha-Dharma: Forest Discipline, Vaikhānasa Austerities, and Śiva-Āśrama as the Liberative Refuge
ग्रामादाहृत्य वाश्नीयादष्टौ ग्रासान् वने वसन् / प्रतिगृह्य पुटेनैव पाणिना शकलेन वा
grāmādāhṛtya vāśnīyādaṣṭau grāsān vane vasan / pratigṛhya puṭenaiva pāṇinā śakalena vā
Im Wald lebend soll er Nahrung aus dem Dorf holen und nur acht Bissen essen. Nachdem er sie empfangen hat, soll er sie nur aus der hohlen Hand nehmen — mit zu einer Schale geformten Handflächen, mit der Hand selbst oder mit einem kleinen Stück, das als Schöpfer dient.
Traditional narrator (Purāṇic instruction on āśrama-dharma; framed within the Kurma Purana’s teaching lineage)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: vira
FAQs
By prescribing strict moderation and simplicity, the verse supports inner quietude (śama) and reduced sense-dependence—conditions that make contemplation of the Self possible, even though it speaks primarily as a rule of conduct.
It highlights preparatory discipline: regulated intake (mitāhāra), non-accumulation, and humility in accepting alms—practices that stabilize the mind and support tapas and meditation, consistent with Kurma Purana’s yoga-oriented dharma.
Indirectly: the shared ascetic ethic—restraint, tapas, and purity—functions as common ground in the Kurma Purana’s Shaiva–Vaishnava synthesis, where devotion and yoga are strengthened through the same disciplined lifestyle.