Shloka 17
Rules of Food, Acceptance, and Purity for the Twice-Born
Dvija-Śauca and Anna-Doṣa
कुशीलवः कुम्भकारः क्षेत्रकर्मक एव च / एते शूद्रेषु भोज्यान्ना दत्त्वा स्वल्पं पणं बुधैः
kuśīlavaḥ kumbhakāraḥ kṣetrakarmaka eva ca / ete śūdreṣu bhojyānnā dattvā svalpaṃ paṇaṃ budhaiḥ
Le ménestrel ou acteur, le potier et l’ouvrier des champs : parmi les Śūdra, ceux-là sont dignes d’être nourris ; et les sages doivent encore leur donner un modeste salaire.
Likely Sūta/Vyāsa-narrative voice presenting dharma injunctions (Kurma Purana dharma section)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: karuna
FAQs
This verse is primarily a dharma injunction about social duty—feeding and fair payment—rather than a direct metaphysical statement about Ātman; it supports the ethical groundwork that purifies conduct, which the Purāṇa treats as supportive for higher spiritual realization.
No specific meditation technique is taught here; the emphasis is on righteous livelihood and compassionate giving (anna-dāna with a fair wage), which function as preparatory disciplines aligned with the Purāṇic ethic that undergirds yoga and devotion.
It does not explicitly mention Śiva or Viṣṇu; its contribution to the Kurma Purana’s synthesis is indirect—by grounding spiritual life in dharma, a shared foundation for both Śaiva (including Pāśupata-oriented) and Vaiṣṇava paths.