Kurma Purana — Uttara Bhaga, Shloka 11
Daily Duties of Brāhmaṇas: Snāna, Sandhyā, Sūrya-hṛdaya, Japa, Tarpaṇa, and the Pañca-mahāyajñas
असामर्थ्ये समुत्पन्ने स्नानमेवं समाचरेत् / ब्राह्मादीनि यथाशक्तौ स्नानान्याहुर्मनीषिणः
asāmarthye samutpanne snānamevaṃ samācaret / brāhmādīni yathāśaktau snānānyāhurmanīṣiṇaḥ
When incapacity arises, one should perform the purificatory bath in this manner. The wise declare that the higher baths—beginning with the Brāhma-bath and the rest—are to be undertaken according to one’s ability.
Traditional narration (Purāṇic teaching voice, as part of the Kurma Purana’s dharma-instructions)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: vira
FAQs
This verse is primarily a dharma-practice instruction: it emphasizes capacity-based discipline in purification rites rather than directly defining Ātman. Indirectly, it supports the Purāṇic view that inner purity is cultivated through right conduct (ācāra), which prepares one for higher knowledge.
No specific yogic technique is named; instead, the verse highlights preparatory purity (śauca) through snāna as an enabling discipline. In Kurma Purana’s broader framework, such śauca supports mantra-japa, vrata, and contemplative worship aligned with Shaiva-Vaishnava synthesis.
The verse does not explicitly mention Śiva or Viṣṇu; its teaching is ecumenical and practical—ritual purity is upheld as a universal dharma. In the Kurma Purana’s integrative theology, such shared dharma-practices function across both Śaiva and Vaiṣṇava modes of devotion.