Kurma Purana — Uttara Bhaga, Shloka 108
Daily Duties of Brāhmaṇas: Snāna, Sandhyā, Sūrya-hṛdaya, Japa, Tarpaṇa, and the Pañca-mahāyajñas
श्वभ्यश्च श्वपचेभ्यश्च पतितादिभ्य एव च / दद्याद् भूमौ बलिं त्वन्नं पक्षिभ्यो ऽथ द्विजोत्तमः
śvabhyaśca śvapacebhyaśca patitādibhya eva ca / dadyād bhūmau baliṃ tvannaṃ pakṣibhyo 'tha dvijottamaḥ
And the best of the twice-born should place on the ground a portion of the food as a bali-offering—giving it to dogs, to outcastes (dog-eaters), and also to the fallen and the like; and then (he should offer) food to the birds as well.
Suta (narrator) conveying traditional dharma-instructions within the Kurma Purana’s discourse
Primary Rasa: karuna
Secondary Rasa: shanta
FAQs
It does so indirectly: by prescribing bali to animals and marginalized persons, the verse reinforces the dharmic vision that the same inner Self pervades all beings, so one’s daily worship must include compassionate sharing rather than isolated ritual purity.
No formal meditation technique is taught in this line; instead it lays the ethical groundwork (yama-like discipline) for spiritual life—training the householder in restraint, non-cruelty, and reverent offering (bali) before eating, which supports steadiness of mind for later yoga practices.
This verse is primarily dharma-instruction, but it fits the Kurma Purana’s Shaiva–Vaishnava synthesis by treating daily offering and compassion as a shared foundation for all worship—whether one’s devotion is directed to Shiva, Vishnu (Kurma), or the one Supreme reality honored through dharma.