Kurma Purana — Uttara Bhaga, Shloka 22
Śrāddha-Kāla-Nirṇaya: Proper Times, Nakṣatra Fruits, Tīrtha Merit, and Offerings for Ancestral Rites
तस्माच्छ्राद्धं न कर्तव्यं चतुर्दश्यां द्विजातिभिः / शस्त्रेण तु हतानां वै तत्र श्राद्धं प्रकल्पयेत्
tasmācchrāddhaṃ na kartavyaṃ caturdaśyāṃ dvijātibhiḥ / śastreṇa tu hatānāṃ vai tatra śrāddhaṃ prakalpayet
Karena itu, pada tithi Caturdaśī kaum dwija tidak sepatutnya melaksanakan śrāddha. Namun bagi mereka yang gugur oleh senjata, śrāddha boleh diselenggarakan dengan tata cara yang benar pada tithi itu juga.
Traditional Purāṇic narrator (Vyāsa) teaching dharma-vidhi to the listening sages
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: karuna
FAQs
This verse is primarily dharma-vidhi (ritual law) rather than direct ātma-tattva teaching; it implies that spiritual welfare is supported through correct action (karma) aligned with śāstra, which sustains order (dharma) and benefits the departed.
No explicit yoga practice is taught here; the emphasis is on disciplined observance (niyama) within Varnāśrama Dharma—performing rites at proper times, with an exception for violent death—reflecting the Purāṇa’s broader stress on regulated conduct as a support for spiritual life.
The verse does not directly address Shiva–Vishnu unity; it reflects the Kurma Purana’s integrative dharma framework in which correct ancestral rites are upheld within a tradition that elsewhere harmonizes Vaiṣṇava and Śaiva teachings.