Kurma Purana — Uttara Bhaga, Shloka 24

Rules of Food, Acceptance, and Purity for the Twice-Born

Dvija-Śauca and Anna-Doṣa

Devanagari script

पिण्याकं चोद्धृतस्नेहं देवधान्य तथैव च / रात्रौ च तिलसंबद्धं प्रयत्नेन दधि त्यजेत्

Transliteration

piṇyākaṃ coddhṛtasnehaṃ devadhānya tathaiva ca / rātrau ca tilasaṃbaddhaṃ prayatnena dadhi tyajet

Translation

പിണ്യാകം (എണ്ണക്കട്ടി/ഖലി), സ്നേഹം എടുത്തുകളഞ്ഞ ഭക്ഷണം, ദേവധാന്യം; കൂടാതെ രാത്രിയിൽ എള്ളോടു ചേർന്ന വിഭവങ്ങളും ദധി (തൈര്)യും പ്രത്യേകം ശ്രദ്ധിച്ച് ഉപേക്ഷിക്കണം.

Word by Word

• पिण्याकम्: oil-cake/sesame-cake residue
• पिण्याकम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पिण्याक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग (प्रयोगे भेदः), द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-निपात

• उद्धृतस्नेहम्: from which oil/fat has been extracted
• उद्धृतस्नेहम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उद्धृत + स्नेह (प्रातिपदिक; √हृ ‘to take out’ + स्नेह)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (कर्मधारय-सन्निकर्षः: ‘उद्धृतः स्नेहः यस्मात्’), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; पिण्याकम् इति विशेषणम्

• देवधान्य: grain meant for the gods (sacred grain)
• देवधान्य: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव + धान्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (देवानां धान्यम्), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: रीत्यर्थक-अव्यय

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारणार्थक-निपात

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-निपात

• रात्रौ: at night
• रात्रौ: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रात्रि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (अधिकरण), एकवचन; ‘at night’

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-निपात

• तिलसंबद्धम्: mixed with sesame
• तिलसंबद्धम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तिल + संबद्ध (कृदन्त; √बन्ध्)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (तिलैः संबद्धम्/युक्तम्), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; दधि इति विशेषणम्

• प्रयत्नेन: carefully/with effort
• प्रयत्नेन: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रयत्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया-विभक्ति (करण), एकवचन

• दधि: curd/yogurt
• दधि: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• त्यजेत्: should abandon/avoid
• त्यजेत्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: त्यज् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपदम्

Speaker

Lord Kurma (Vishnu) instructing on dharma/niyama in a vrata-like context

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka

Characters & Entities

• Lord Kurma
• Vishnu
• Dadhi (curd)
• Tila (sesame)

More Details (3 sections)

FAQs

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

Indirectly: by prescribing restraint in food and habit, it supports sattva and inner clarity, which are treated in the Kurma tradition as prerequisites for steady knowledge of the Self (ātma-jñāna).

What Yoga or Meditative practices are highlighted here?

It highlights āhāra-śuddhi and niyama—disciplines that stabilize the body-mind for japa, dhyāna, and vrata observance, aligning with the Kurma Purana’s broader yogic emphasis on purification before higher practice.

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

By focusing on shared dharma-yoga restraints rather than sectarian markers, it reflects the Purana’s synthetic approach: the same purity disciplines serve devotion and realization whether framed in Shaiva (Pāśupata) or Vaishnava (Nārāyaṇa) idioms.