Shloka 72
Dharma of Non-Injury, Non-Stealing, Purity, and Avoidance of Hypocrisy (Ācāra and Saṅkarya-Nivṛtti)
न स्पृशेत् पाणिनोच्छिष्टो विप्रोगोब्राह्मणानलान् / न चासनं पदा वापि न देवप्रतिमां स्पृशेत्
na spṛśet pāṇinocchiṣṭo viprogobrāhmaṇānalān / na cāsanaṃ padā vāpi na devapratimāṃ spṛśet
Un brāhmane dont la main est souillée par des restes de nourriture ne doit toucher ni une vache, ni un autre brāhmane, ni le feu ; qu’il ne touche pas non plus un siège avec le pied, et qu’il ne touche pas une image de la Divinité.
Sūta (narrator) conveying the Kurma Purana’s dharma-instructions as taught by the tradition
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: bibhatsa
FAQs
Indirectly: it teaches that spiritual realization is supported by śauca and disciplined conduct; purity of action and reverence toward sacred supports (Agni, cow, brāhmaṇa, deity-image) stabilize the mind for higher knowledge of Ātman.
No specific āsana or dhyāna is prescribed; the verse highlights preparatory yogic discipline—external purity, restraint, and reverence—seen as foundational observances (niyama-like) that support mantra, worship, and meditative steadiness in the Kurma Purana’s path.
By emphasizing reverence to the deva-pratimā and ritual purity, it supports the Purana’s synthesis: devotion and disciplined worship apply across sectarian forms—whether one approaches the Supreme as Viṣṇu (Kūrma) or as Śiva—through the same dharmic standards.