Kurma Purana — Uttara Bhaga, Shloka 20
Aśauca-vidhi — Rules of Birth/Death Impurity, Sapinda Circles, and Śrāddha Sequence
तत ऊर्ध्वं तु पतने स्त्रीणां द्वादशरात्रिकम् / सद्यः शौचं सपिण्डानां गर्भस्त्रावाच्च वा ततः
tata ūrdhvaṃ tu patane strīṇāṃ dvādaśarātrikam / sadyaḥ śaucaṃ sapiṇḍānāṃ garbhastrāvācca vā tataḥ
Thereafter, in the case of a woman’s death (patana), the aśauca is twelve nights. For the sapinda relatives, however, purification is immediate—so too in the event of miscarriage (the discharge of the fetus).
Sūta (narrator) relaying the Kurma Purana’s dharma-instructions as taught in the text’s dialogue tradition
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: karuna
FAQs
It does not directly define Ātman; instead, it grounds spiritual life in dharma by prescribing śauca/aśauca disciplines, which traditionally support inner steadiness (sattva) needed for Self-knowledge.
No specific yoga technique is taught in this verse; it emphasizes ritual purity (śauca) as a preparatory discipline that complements later yogic and devotional practices found elsewhere in the Kurma Purana.
It does not explicitly discuss Shiva–Vishnu unity; it contributes to the shared dharmic framework that both Shaiva and Vaishnava paths in the Kurma Purana treat as the ethical-ritual foundation for higher sādhanā.