Uttara Bhaga Adhyaya 27 Shloka 30 - Kurma Purana | Gujarati | Vedapath

Vyasa

←Previous VerseNext Verse→

Shloka 30

Vānaprastha-Dharma: Forest Discipline, Vaikhānasa Austerities, and Śiva-Āśrama as the Liberative Refuge

Devanagari script

पञ्चाग्निर्धूमपो वा स्यादुष्मपः सोमपो ऽपि वा / पयः पिबेच्छुक्लपक्षे कृष्णापक्षे तु गोमयम् / शीर्णपर्णाशनो वा स्यात् कृच्छ्रैर् वा वर्तयेत् सदा

Transliteration

pañcāgnirdhūmapo vā syāduṣmapaḥ somapo 'pi vā / payaḥ pibecchuklapakṣe kṛṣṇāpakṣe tu gomayam / śīrṇaparṇāśano vā syāt kṛcchrair vā vartayet sadā

Translation

કોઈ પંચાગ્નિ તપ કરી શકે, અથવા ધૂમપાનથી, અથવા ઉષ્ણ વાષ્પપાનથી, અથવા સોમપાનથી પણ જીવન નિર્વાહ કરી શકે. શુક્લપક્ષમાં દૂધ પીવું અને કૃષ્ણપક્ષમાં ગોમય ગ્રહણ કરવું. અથવા ઝરેલા સુકાયેલા પાંદડાં ખાઈ રહેવું; આમ સદા કઠોર કૃચ્છ્ર પ્રાયશ્ચિત્તોથી જીવન ધારવું.

Word by Word

पञ्च-अग्निःone practicing the five fires

धूम-पःsmoke-drinker (one who inhales smoke as austerity)

वाor

स्यात्should be

उष्म-पःheat-drinker (one who takes in heat)

सोम-पःSoma-drinker

अपिalso/even

वाor

पयःmilk

पिबेत्should drink

शुक्ल-पक्षेin the bright fortnight

कृष्ण-पक्षेin the dark fortnight

तुbut/and

गोमयम्cow-dung

शीर्ण-पर्ण-आशनःone who eats fallen leaves

वाor

स्यात्should be

कृच्छ्रैःby severe penances

वाor

वर्तयेत्should subsist/continue

सदाalways

Speaker

Lord Kūrma (Viṣṇu) instructing on dharma and tapas

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: vira

Secondary Rasa: raudra

Characters & Entities

Kūrma (Viṣṇu)

Soma

FAQs

How does this verse explain the nature of the Supreme Self (Atman)?

Indirectly: it emphasizes purification through restraint and tapas, preparing the practitioner’s body-mind for steadiness and insight, which the Purāṇa elsewhere links to realizing the Self beyond impurities.

What Yoga or Meditative practices are highlighted here?

It highlights ascetic disciplines (tapas) and kṛcchra-type observances—regulated diet and endurance-based vows—which function as foundational yama/niyama-style practices supporting concentration and higher contemplative yoga.

How does this verse depict the relationship between Shiva and Vishnu?

By presenting tapas and purity as universal dharmic means rather than sectarian markers, it supports the Kurma Purana’s broader Shaiva–Vaishnava synthesis: the same disciplines serve devotion and realization oriented to either Śiva or Viṣṇu as the one supreme.