Shloka 18
Prāyaścitta for Mahāpātakas — Brahmahatyā, Association with the Fallen, and Tīrtha-Based Purification
कुर्यादनशनं वाथ भृगोः पतनमेव वा / ज्वलन्तं वा विशेदग्निं जलं वा प्रविशेत् स्वयम्
kuryādanaśanaṃ vātha bhṛgoḥ patanameva vā / jvalantaṃ vā viśedagniṃ jalaṃ vā praviśet svayam
Il peut entreprendre le jeûne jusqu'à la mort, ou se jeter du haut d'un précipice, ou entrer dans un feu ardent, ou s'immerger lui-même dans l'eau.
Narratorial/legal-dharma voice of the Purana (instructional passage within the Kurma Purana’s dharma teaching context)
Primary Rasa: raudra
Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka
FAQs
It does not directly define Atman; instead, it frames dharma as weighty enough that one may accept extreme self-denial as expiation—implying the primacy of inner moral accountability over bodily comfort.
The verse emphasizes tapas (austerity) in the form of anaśana (fasting) and other severe vows as penitential discipline; this is adjacent to yogic self-control (yama/niyama) rather than a technical meditation instruction.
It does not name Shiva or Vishnu; its contribution to the Kurma Purana’s synthesis is indirect—grounding later Shaiva-Vaishnava spiritual teachings in a shared dharma framework of restraint, expiation, and ethical purification.