Kurma Purana — Uttara Bhaga, Shloka 41
Prāyaścitta for Theft, Forbidden Foods, Impurity, and Ritual Lapses; Tīrtha–Vrata Remedies; Pativratā Mahātmyam via Sītā and Agni
स्नानार्हे यदि भुञ्जीत अहोरात्रेण शुद्ध्यति / बुद्धिपूर्वं तु कृच्छ्रेण भगवानाह पद्मजः
snānārhe yadi bhuñjīta ahorātreṇa śuddhyati / buddhipūrvaṃ tu kṛcchreṇa bhagavānāha padmajaḥ
यदि स्नान-योग्य समय में कोई भोजन कर ले, तो एक अहोरात्र में शुद्ध हो जाता है; पर यदि यह जान-बूझकर किया गया हो, तो केवल ‘कृच्छ्र’ प्रायश्चित्त से ही शुद्धि होती है—ऐसा भगवान पद्मज (ब्रह्मा) ने कहा है।
Narrator citing Brahmā (Padmaja) as authority on prāyaścitta
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: vira
FAQs
It does not directly teach Ātman-metaphysics; it emphasizes dharma through purity (śauca) and intention (saṅkalpa), implying that inner volition determines the karmic weight of an act.
No meditation technique is taught here; the verse supports yogic discipline indirectly by stressing niyama (purity) and tapas (austerity) through the Kṛcchra penance when a rule is knowingly violated.
It does not address Śiva–Viṣṇu unity explicitly; it reflects the Purāṇic synthesis by grounding spiritual life in shared dharma norms (śauca and prāyaścitta) upheld across sectarian traditions.