Kurma Purana — Uttara Bhaga, Shloka 40
Prāyaścitta for Mahāpātakas: Liquor, Theft, Sexual Transgression, Contact with the Fallen, and Homicide
सप्तरात्रमकृत्वा तु भैक्षचर्याग्निपूजनम् / रेतसश्च समुत्सर्गे प्रायश्चित्तं समाचरेत्
saptarātramakṛtvā tu bhaikṣacaryāgnipūjanam / retasaśca samutsarge prāyaścittaṃ samācaret
But if for seven nights one fails to observe the disciplines of living on alms and worshipping the sacred fire, then—if there is also an emission of semen—one should duly undertake the prescribed expiatory rite (prāyaścitta).
Traditional narrator-to-sage transmission (dharma/prāyaścitta instruction within the Kurma Purana’s Purva-bhaga)
Primary Rasa: bhayanaka
Secondary Rasa: raudra
FAQs
Indirectly: it frames spiritual life through dharma—discipline, restraint, and expiation—implying that inner purity (śuddhi) and self-mastery support realization, even though the verse itself is primarily about conduct and penance.
It highlights preparatory yogic restraints (yama-like foundations): brahmacarya (continence), regulated living (bhikṣācaryā), and ritual steadiness (agni-pūjā). When lapses occur, prāyaścitta restores eligibility and mental clarity for sādhana.
Not explicitly; however, the Kurma Purana’s synthesis is reflected in its shared dharma-grammar—purificatory discipline and expiation—as a common ground for both Śaiva (including Pāśupata) and Vaiṣṇava paths.