Shloka 4
Vānaprastha-Dharma: Forest Discipline, Vaikhānasa Austerities, and Śiva-Āśrama as the Liberative Refuge
फलमूलानि पूतानि नित्यमाहारमाहरेत् / यताहारो भवेत् तेन पूजयेत् पितृदेवताः
phalamūlāni pūtāni nityamāhāramāharet / yatāhāro bhavet tena pūjayet pitṛdevatāḥ
Hendaklah sentiasa mengambil buah-buahan dan akar-akar yang telah disucikan sebagai makanan harian. Dengan diet yang terkawal itu sendiri, hendaklah ia memuja para dewa leluhur (Pitṛ).
Lord Kūrma (Viṣṇu) instructing in dharma related to Pitṛs and śrāddha
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: karuna
FAQs
Indirectly, it teaches that inner purity is supported by disciplined intake (āhāra-śuddhi); such purity steadies the mind for dharma and for higher knowledge that culminates in realizing the Self.
The verse highlights yatāhāra (regulated diet), a foundational yogic restraint that supports śauca (purity) and mental clarity—prerequisites for mantra, worship, and meditation described across the Kurma Purana’s yoga-dharma teachings.
While not naming Śiva explicitly, it reflects the Purana’s synthesis: disciplined purity and ritual duty (such as honoring the Pitṛs) are upheld as universally valid supports for both Vaiṣṇava devotion and Śaiva-yogic attainment.