Kurma Purana — Uttara Bhaga, Shloka 14
Saṃnyāsa-dharma — Qualifications, Threefold Renunciation, and the Conduct of the Yati
एकवासाथवा विद्वान् कौपीनाच्छादनस्तथा / मुण्डी शिखी वाथ भवेत् त्रिदण्डी निष्परिग्रहः / काषायवासाः सततं ध्यानयोगपरायणः
ekavāsāthavā vidvān kaupīnācchādanastathā / muṇḍī śikhī vātha bhavet tridaṇḍī niṣparigrahaḥ / kāṣāyavāsāḥ satataṃ dhyānayogaparāyaṇaḥ
Ein gelehrter Entsagender mag ein einziges Gewand tragen oder nur mit dem Lendenschurz (kaupīna) bedeckt sein. Er mag kahlgeschoren sein oder den Scheitelzopf tragen; er mag den Dreistab (tridaṇḍa) führen und soll ohne Besitz sein. In ockerfarbene (kāṣāya) Gewänder gekleidet, sei er stets dem Yoga der Meditation hingegeben.
Suta (narrating the Kurma Purana’s teaching on renunciation as received from the sages/lineage)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: vira
FAQs
By emphasizing niṣparigraha (non-possession) and constant dhyāna-yoga, the verse points to Self-realization through inner detachment rather than outer status—purifying body, speech, and mind so awareness rests in the Atman.
It highlights dhyāna-yoga as a continuous discipline, supported by renunciate restraints: minimal clothing, simplicity, the tridanda ideal (governing body–speech–mind), and non-grasping (niṣparigraha) as practical foundations for steady meditation.
The verse presents a shared yogic-ascetic ideal—ochre robes, meditation, and non-possession—common to both Shaiva (including Pāśupata-oriented) and Vaishnava renunciate streams, reflecting the Kurma Purana’s integrative (non-sectarian) spiritual ethic.