Shloka 37
Dāna-dharma: Types of Charity, Worthy Recipients, Vrata-Timings, and Śiva–Viṣṇu Propitiation
द्विजानां वपुरास्थाय नित्यं तिष्ठन्ति देवताः / पूज्यन्ते ब्राह्मणालाभे प्रतिमादिष्वपि क्वचित्
dvijānāṃ vapurāsthāya nityaṃ tiṣṭhanti devatāḥ / pūjyante brāhmaṇālābhe pratimādiṣvapi kvacit
Asumiendo el mismo cuerpo de los dos veces nacidos (dvija), las deidades moran allí siempre. Cuando no se dispone de un brāhmaṇa, a veces se las adora también en imágenes y cosas semejantes.
Lord Kūrma (Viṣṇu) instructing on dharma and worship
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
FAQs
Indirectly, it teaches that divinity is not confined to a single ritual medium: the sacred presence can abide in a living bearer of dharma (the dvija) and, when needed, in a consecrated support (pratimā), pointing to a pervasive sacred reality rather than a merely material locus.
The verse emphasizes dharmic discipline as a foundation for worship: honoring the embodied locus of sattva and śāstra (the dvija) is a practical extension of inner purity (śauca) and right conduct (yama/niyama-like restraints), which the Kurma Purana repeatedly treats as prerequisites for higher yoga and devotion.
By prioritizing the living seat of divinity and allowing image-worship as a contextual substitute, the verse reflects the Purana’s integrative stance: the one sacred presence is approached through multiple sanctioned forms, consistent with the Kurma Purana’s broader Shaiva–Vaishnava synthesis.