Shloka 78
Aśauca-vidhi — Rules of Birth/Death Impurity, Sapinda Circles, and Śrāddha Sequence
देहाभावात् पलाशैस्तु कृत्वा प्रतिकृतिं पुनः / दाहः कार्यो यथान्यायं सपिण्डैः श्रद्धयान्वितैः
dehābhāvāt palāśaistu kṛtvā pratikṛtiṃ punaḥ / dāhaḥ kāryo yathānyāyaṃ sapiṇḍaiḥ śraddhayānvitaiḥ
Quando o corpo físico não estiver disponível, deve-se confeccionar novamente uma efígie substituta com madeira de palāśa; então, conforme o rito devido, a cremação deve ser realizada outra vez pelos parentes sapiṇḍa, dotados de fé.
Sūta (narrator) conveying the Kurma Purana’s dharma-instructions to the sages
Primary Rasa: karuna
Secondary Rasa: shanta
FAQs
It implies the Self is not identical with the perishable body: even when the body is absent, dharmic rites proceed through a symbolic form, indicating that the person’s spiritual continuity is not reducible to physical remains.
No specific yogic technique is taught in this verse; it emphasizes śraddhā (reverent, focused intent) and disciplined adherence to dharma—an inner steadiness that the Kurma Purana elsewhere aligns with sāttvika conduct supporting higher sādhanā.
Indirectly: it reflects the Purana’s integrative stance where correct dharma and śraddhā are upheld as universally binding, regardless of sectarian orientation—supporting the text’s broader Shaiva–Vaishnava synthesis in practice.