Kurma Purana — Uttara Bhaga, Shloka 26
Śrāddha-vidhi for Pitṛs: Invitations, Purity, Offerings, and Conduct
द्वौ दैवे प्राङ्मुखौ पित्र्ये त्रयश्चोदङ्मुखास्तथा / एकैकं वा भवेत् तत्र देवमातामहेष्वपि
dvau daive prāṅmukhau pitrye trayaścodaṅmukhāstathā / ekaikaṃ vā bhavet tatra devamātāmaheṣvapi
Para las ofrendas a los dioses, deben sentarse dos brāhmaṇas mirando al oriente; para las ofrendas a los antepasados (pitṛ), deben sentarse tres mirando al norte. O bien, puede designarse allí incluso uno para cada caso—también en los ritos para los dioses, la madre y el abuelo materno.
Sūta (narrator) conveying the Śrāddha-vidhi as taught in the Purāṇic discourse
Primary Rasa: shanta
FAQs
This verse is primarily ritual-instructional rather than metaphysical: it supports dharma through correct śrāddha procedure. In the Kurma Purana’s broader framework, such disciplined action (karma aligned with śāstra) purifies the mind, which is then fit for realizing the Atman taught in higher teachings (including later yoga-oriented sections).
No direct yogic technique is taught here; the emphasis is on niyama-like discipline—order, orientation, and proper appointment of officiants in śrāddha. In Purāṇic yoga ethics, such dharmic regularity functions as a preparatory purification supporting later meditation and devotion.
It does not explicitly address Shiva–Vishnu unity. Indirectly, it reflects the Kurma Purana’s synthesis by grounding spiritual life in shared dharma (śrāddha and yajña), which both Shaiva and Vaishnava paths uphold as purificatory and socially sustaining.