Kurma Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 25
Kapardeśvara at Piśācamocana — Liberation of a Piśāca and the Brahmapāra Hymn
ईदृशीं योनिमापन्नः पैशाचीं क्षुधयान्वितः / पिपासयाधुनाक्रान्तो न जानामि हिताहितम्
īdṛśīṃ yonimāpannaḥ paiśācīṃ kṣudhayānvitaḥ / pipāsayādhunākrānto na jānāmi hitāhitam
Étant tombé dans une telle matrice—cet état de piśāca—tourmenté par la faim et maintenant accablé par la soif, je ne discerne plus ce qui est salutaire et ce qui est nuisible.
A suffering jīva (lamenting being) describing its degraded birth and loss of discernment (viveka)
Primary Rasa: karuna
Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka
FAQs
Indirectly: it shows that when consciousness is bound by karmic embodiment and overpowering cravings, discernment (viveka) collapses; the Atman’s clarity is veiled, and one cannot distinguish hita from ahita.
This verse itself is a diagnosis—craving and bodily compulsion obscure judgment. In the Kurma Purana’s broader yogic ethic, restraint (saṃyama), purification, and devotion-driven discipline restore viveka, preparing one for higher Yoga teachings such as those later systematized in the Ishvara Gita context.
It does not explicitly mention Shiva or Vishnu; its practical takeaway aligns with the Purana’s synthesis: liberation requires overcoming craving and delusion through dharma and yoga—teachings upheld across Shaiva and Vaishnava paths within the Kurma Purana.