Kurma Purana — Uttara Bhaga, Shloka 87
Śrāddha-vidhi for Pitṛs: Invitations, Purity, Offerings, and Conduct
न जीवत्पितृको दद्याद्धोमान्तं चाभिधीयते / येषां वापि पिता दद्यात् तेषां चैके प्रचक्षते
na jīvatpitṛko dadyāddhomāntaṃ cābhidhīyate / yeṣāṃ vāpi pitā dadyāt teṣāṃ caike pracakṣate
Quien tiene al padre aún con vida no debe hacer tal dádiva; y se dice que esta regla rige hasta la conclusión del homa (ofrenda al fuego). Con todo, algunas autoridades afirman que, si el propio padre da (o autoriza la dádiva), también es lícito para esos hijos.
Sūta (narrator) conveying dharma-śāstric injunctions within the Kurma Purana’s discourse
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka
FAQs
This verse is primarily dharma-vidhi (ritual-ethical law), not direct ātma-tattva teaching; it implies that spiritual merit (puṇya) is pursued through ordered duty and rightful authority, which in the Kurma Purana supports inner discipline that later culminates in higher knowledge.
No seated meditation is described; the practice emphasized is karma-yoga in the form of regulated dāna and homa—performing rites with proper eligibility and lineage-respect, which the Purana treats as a foundation for purity (śuddhi) that supports higher sādhanā.
It does not explicitly mention Shiva–Vishnu unity; instead it reflects the Kurma Purana’s integrative approach where correct dharma (including homa and dāna) is shared religious ground across Shaiva and Vaishnava observances.