Kurma Purana — Uttara Bhaga, Shloka 45
Śrāddha-vidhi for Pitṛs: Invitations, Purity, Offerings, and Conduct
यज्ञोपवीतिना होमः कर्तव्यः कुशपाणिना / प्राचीनावीतिना पित्र्यं वैश्वदेवं तु होमवत्
yajñopavītinā homaḥ kartavyaḥ kuśapāṇinā / prācīnāvītinā pitryaṃ vaiśvadevaṃ tu homavat
Homa should be performed while wearing the sacred thread in the proper (upavīta) manner, with kuśa-grass held in the hand. But the ancestral rite (pitrya) should be done with the sacred thread worn in the reverse (prācīnāvīta) manner; and the Vaiśvadeva offering is to be performed in the same way as a homa.
Sūta (traditional narrator) conveying the Kurma Purana’s dharma-instructions in a teaching context
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: vira
FAQs
This verse does not directly define Ātman; it emphasizes disciplined Vaidika karma (homa, pitṛ-kārya, Vaiśvadeva) as a dharmic foundation that, in the Kurma Purana’s broader synthesis, supports inner purification leading toward Self-knowledge.
No seated meditation is described; the practice highlighted is karma-yoga in the form of daily sacred duties—performing homa with correct ācamana/ācāra markers (upavīta/prācīnāvīta) and mindful ritual precision, which the Purana treats as preparatory discipline for higher yoga and devotion.
It does not explicitly mention Śiva or Viṣṇu; indirectly, it reflects the Purana’s integrative stance where orthodox Vedic rites (often shared across Śaiva-Vaiṣṇava communities) coexist with later theological teachings, showing harmony between ritual order and the text’s broader theistic synthesis.