Kurma Purana — Uttara Bhaga, Shloka 58
Prāyaścitta for Theft, Forbidden Foods, Impurity, and Ritual Lapses; Tīrtha–Vrata Remedies; Pativratā Mahātmyam via Sītā and Agni
उष्ट्रयानं समारुह्य खरयानं च कामतः / त्रिरात्रेण विशुद्ध्येत् तु नग्नो वा प्रविशेज्जलम्
uṣṭrayānaṃ samāruhya kharayānaṃ ca kāmataḥ / trirātreṇa viśuddhyet tu nagno vā praviśejjalam
Wenn jemand aus eigenem Wunsch ein Kamel- oder Eselsgefährt besteigt, wird er nach drei Nächten gereinigt; oder er soll, als Alternative, unbekleidet ins Wasser gehen zu einem reinigenden Bad.
Sūta (narrator) conveying the Kurma Purana’s dharma-śāstra style prāyaścitta rules
Primary Rasa: bibhatsa
Secondary Rasa: shanta
FAQs
It does not directly teach ātma-tattva; instead, it prescribes external purification (śauca) as a supportive discipline, which in the Kurma Purana’s broader vision helps steady the mind for higher knowledge and devotion.
No specific yogic technique is taught; the verse highlights preparatory discipline—prāyaścitta and bodily cleansing—often treated as ancillary supports (aṅga) for sādhana, including mantra, worship, and yoga in the Purana’s wider teaching.
It does not explicitly mention Śiva or Viṣṇu; it reflects the shared dharmic framework honored across Shaiva-Vaishnava synthesis in the Kurma Purana—ethical restraint and purification as common foundations for devotion and liberation.