Kurma Purana — Uttara Bhaga, Shloka 50
Prāyaścitta for Mahāpātakas: Liquor, Theft, Sexual Transgression, Contact with the Fallen, and Homicide
मण्डूकं नकुलं काकं दन्दशूकं च मूषिकम् / श्वानं हत्वा द्विजः कुर्यात् षोडशांशं व्रतं ततः
maṇḍūkaṃ nakulaṃ kākaṃ dandaśūkaṃ ca mūṣikam / śvānaṃ hatvā dvijaḥ kuryāt ṣoḍaśāṃśaṃ vrataṃ tataḥ
Setelah membunuh katak, cerpelai, gagak, ular, atau tikus—atau setelah membunuh anjing—seorang lelaki yang lahir dua kali harus melakukan sumpah penebusan dosa yang setara dengan satu perenam belas (daripada hukuman penuh yang ditetapkan).
Sūta (narrator) conveying the Kurma Purana’s dharma-teachings as taught in the discourse of sages
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: bibhatsa
FAQs
It does not directly teach Ātman-doctrine; instead, it frames ethical accountability (karma and its remediation) through prāyaścitta, which in the Purāṇic worldview supports inner purity needed for higher knowledge.
No specific yoga technique is described; the verse highlights vrata (disciplined observance) as a preparatory limb—ethical restraint and purification—often treated as supportive to dhyāna and higher sādhana in the Kurma Purana’s broader teaching.
This verse is primarily dharma-legal and does not explicitly address Shiva–Vishnu unity; its contribution is indirect, emphasizing shared Purāṇic ethics (ahiṃsā, penance, purification) that underpin both Shaiva and Vaishnava soteriological paths.