Shloka 37
Dāna-dharma: Types of Charity, Worthy Recipients, Vrata-Timings, and Śiva–Viṣṇu Propitiation
द्विजानां वपुरास्थाय नित्यं तिष्ठन्ति देवताः / पूज्यन्ते ब्राह्मणालाभे प्रतिमादिष्वपि क्वचित्
dvijānāṃ vapurāsthāya nityaṃ tiṣṭhanti devatāḥ / pūjyante brāhmaṇālābhe pratimādiṣvapi kvacit
ദ്വിജന്മാരുടെ ദേഹം ആശ്രയിച്ച് ദേവതകൾ നിത്യവും നിലകൊള്ളുന്നു; ബ്രാഹ്മണൻ ലഭ്യമല്ലെങ്കിൽ ചിലപ്പോൾ പ്രതിമ മുതലായവയിലും അവർ പൂജിക്കപ്പെടുന്നു.
Lord Kūrma (Viṣṇu) instructing on dharma and worship
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
FAQs
Indirectly, it teaches that divinity is not confined to a single ritual medium: the sacred presence can abide in a living bearer of dharma (the dvija) and, when needed, in a consecrated support (pratimā), pointing to a pervasive sacred reality rather than a merely material locus.
The verse emphasizes dharmic discipline as a foundation for worship: honoring the embodied locus of sattva and śāstra (the dvija) is a practical extension of inner purity (śauca) and right conduct (yama/niyama-like restraints), which the Kurma Purana repeatedly treats as prerequisites for higher yoga and devotion.
By prioritizing the living seat of divinity and allowing image-worship as a contextual substitute, the verse reflects the Purana’s integrative stance: the one sacred presence is approached through multiple sanctioned forms, consistent with the Kurma Purana’s broader Shaiva–Vaishnava synthesis.