Kurma Purana — Uttara Bhaga, Shloka 59
Prāyaścitta for Theft, Forbidden Foods, Impurity, and Ritual Lapses; Tīrtha–Vrata Remedies; Pativratā Mahātmyam via Sītā and Agni
षष्ठान्नकालतामासं संहिताजप एव च / होमाश्च शाकला नित्यमपाङ्क्तानां विशोधनम्
ṣaṣṭhānnakālatāmāsaṃ saṃhitājapa eva ca / homāśca śākalā nityamapāṅktānāṃ viśodhanam
For those who have become apāṅktya (unfit to sit in the communal row for meals and rites), purification is prescribed by keeping for a month the discipline of the “sixth-meal time,” by japa-recitation of the Saṃhitā, and by the constant performance of Śākala homas—these are the means of their cleansing.
Sūta (narrating the Kurma Purana’s dharma/prāyaścitta instructions as taught in the tradition)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: bibhatsa
FAQs
This verse is primarily dharma-śāstra in tone: it focuses on external and internal purification through disciplined conduct (niyama), Vedic recitation, and homa, which in the Purāṇic view supports clarity (śuddhi) conducive to realizing the Self.
It highlights discipline (niyama) and mantra-japa—specifically Saṃhitā recitation—along with daily homa as a purificatory sādhanā; these function as preparatory practices that steady the practitioner for higher contemplative paths described elsewhere in the Kurma tradition.
The verse does not explicitly mention Śiva or Viṣṇu; however, its emphasis on Vedic japa and homa reflects the shared ritual foundation honored across Śaiva–Vaiṣṇava synthesis in the Kurma Purana, where purity and right practice underpin devotion and liberation.