Shloka 108
Prāyaścitta for Theft, Forbidden Foods, Impurity, and Ritual Lapses; Tīrtha–Vrata Remedies; Pativratā Mahātmyam via Sītā and Agni
ब्रह्मघ्नं वा कृतघ्नं वा महापातकदूषितम् / भर्तारमुद्धरेन्नारी प्रविष्टा सह पावकम्
brahmaghnaṃ vā kṛtaghnaṃ vā mahāpātakadūṣitam / bhartāramuddharennārī praviṣṭā saha pāvakam
Even if her husband is a slayer of a brāhmaṇa, an ingrate, or one tainted by great sins, a wife may yet redeem him—by entering the purifying fire along with him.
Sūta (narrating the Kurma Purana’s teaching on dharma to the sages)
Primary Rasa: karuna
Secondary Rasa: raudra
FAQs
This verse is primarily dharma-centered rather than metaphysical; it implies that even grave moral impurity can be overcome through powerful dharmic agency (pativratā-bhāva and purifying rites), which in the Purāṇic worldview ultimately supports the soul’s purification and higher realization.
No explicit yoga technique is taught here; the emphasis is on dharma and expiation (prāyaścitta) through Agni as purifier, reflecting the Kurma Purana’s broader framework where disciplined conduct (ācāra) is a foundation that supports later spiritual practice, including teachings associated with Pāśupata-oriented devotion and restraint.
This specific verse does not directly mention Śiva or Viṣṇu; it aligns with the Kurma Purana’s integrative ethos by presenting dharma and purification as universally efficacious principles upheld across sectarian lines, a backdrop against which Śaiva–Vaiṣṇava synthesis is later articulated.