Kurma Purana — Uttara Bhaga, Shloka 20
Ācamana-vidhi, Śauca, and Conduct Rules for Study, Eating, and Bodily Functions
त्रिः प्राश्नीयादपः पूर्वं ब्राह्मणः प्रयतस्ततः / संमृज्याङ्गुष्ठमूलेन मुखं वै समुपस्पृशेत्
triḥ prāśnīyādapaḥ pūrvaṃ brāhmaṇaḥ prayatastataḥ / saṃmṛjyāṅguṣṭhamūlena mukhaṃ vai samupaspṛśet
First, the disciplined brāhmaṇa should sip water three times; then, after wiping the lips, he should touch and purify the mouth with the base of the thumb.
Sūta (traditional narrator) describing dharma/ācāra injunctions to the sages
Primary Rasa: shanta
FAQs
Indirectly: by prescribing śauca (purificatory discipline) before sacred acts, it supports the Purāṇic view that a steady, purified mind becomes fit to recognize the ātman—ever pure—through practice and right conduct.
It highlights preparatory discipline (bahir-śauca) such as ācamana and bodily restraint (prayata). In Kurma Purana–style sādhanā, such observances function as groundwork for mantra, japa, and meditative absorption by reducing distraction and ritual impurity.
Not by explicit theology, but by shared dharma: the same śauca and ācāra norms are presented as universal prerequisites for worship and yoga, whether oriented to Śiva (Pāśupata) or Viṣṇu (Nārāyaṇa), reflecting the Purāṇa’s integrative stance.