Svāyambhuva Lineage to Dakṣa; Pṛthu’s Devotion; Pāśupata Saṃnyāsa; Dakṣa–Satī Episode
भस्मोद्धूलितसर्वाङ्गः कन्दमूलफलाशनः / शान्तो दान्तो जितक्रोधः संन्यासविधिमाश्रितः
bhasmoddhūlitasarvāṅgaḥ kandamūlaphalāśanaḥ / śānto dānto jitakrodhaḥ saṃnyāsavidhimāśritaḥ
അവന്റെ സർവ്വാംഗവും ഭസ്മം തേച്ച് ധൂളിധൂസരമായിരുന്നു; കന്ദം-മൂലം-ഫലം ആഹരിച്ച്, ശാന്തനും ദാന്തനും ആയി, ക്രോധം ജയിച്ച് സന്ന്യാസവിധി ആശ്രയിച്ചു.
Lord Kurma (Vishnu) instructing on dharma and the renunciate ideal within a Shaiva-Vaishnava synthesis
Primary Rasa: shanta
By emphasizing peace, restraint, and victory over anger, the verse points to inner purification: the Atman is approached not by ritual display alone but by mastery of the mind and passions, which reveals the serene Self.
It highlights practical disciplines aligned with Pashupata-leaning asceticism: bhasma-dhāraṇa (ash as a sign of detachment), mitāhāra/simple diet (roots and fruits), and core yamas such as śama (peace) and dama (sense-control), culminating in saṃnyāsa-vidhi as a structured yogic life.
The use of bhasma and ascetic markers commonly associated with Shaiva practice, taught here under Lord Kurma’s authority, reflects the Kurma Purana’s non-sectarian synthesis: Vishnu upholds disciplines honored in Shaiva traditions as valid means toward liberation.