Kurma Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 33
Solar Rays, Planetary Nourishment, Dhruva-Bondage of the Grahas, and the Lunar Cycle
संपूर्णमर्धमासेन तं सोमममृतात्मकम् / पिबन्ति देवता विप्रा यतस्ते ऽमृतभोजनाः
saṃpūrṇamardhamāsena taṃ somamamṛtātmakam / pibanti devatā viprā yataste 'mṛtabhojanāḥ
Dalam tempoh setengah bulan, wahai para brāhmaṇa, para dewa meminum habis Soma itu yang hakikatnya adalah amṛta (nektar keabadian). Maka sebab itulah para dewa dan para resi brāhmaṇa dikatakan dipelihara oleh keabadian itu sendiri.
Vyasa (narrative voice in Purana-style exposition)
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
FAQs
By portraying Soma as “amṛtātmakam” (nectar-essenced), the verse uses a cosmic symbol for imperishable sustenance—hinting that true nourishment is the deathless principle, which Upanishadic and Purāṇic traditions associate with the Atman’s immortality.
The verse is not a direct Yoga injunction; it supports a broader Kurma Purana theme: disciplined, sattvic nourishment and sacrificial purity sustain higher states. In Pashupata-oriented ethics, such purity undergirds restraint (saṃyama) and steadiness required for contemplation.
Indirectly: it frames “amṛta” as the shared divine sustenance of the higher orders. In the Kurma Purana’s synthetic theology, such immortality is ultimately grounded in the one Supreme Lord revered through both Shaiva and Vaishnava lenses.