Kurma Purana — Uttara Bhaga, Shloka 35
Vānaprastha-Dharma: Forest Discipline, Vaikhānasa Austerities, and Śiva-Āśrama as the Liberative Refuge
ग्रामादाहृत्य वाश्नीयादष्टौ ग्रासान् वने वसन् / प्रतिगृह्य पुटेनैव पाणिना शकलेन वा
grāmādāhṛtya vāśnīyādaṣṭau grāsān vane vasan / pratigṛhya puṭenaiva pāṇinā śakalena vā
Живя в лесу, он должен приносить пищу из деревни и съедать лишь восемь глотков. Приняв её, пусть берёт её только в пригоршню — сложенными ладонями, самой рукой или маленьким кусочком, служащим черпачком.
Traditional narrator (Purāṇic instruction on āśrama-dharma; framed within the Kurma Purana’s teaching lineage)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: vira
FAQs
By prescribing strict moderation and simplicity, the verse supports inner quietude (śama) and reduced sense-dependence—conditions that make contemplation of the Self possible, even though it speaks primarily as a rule of conduct.
It highlights preparatory discipline: regulated intake (mitāhāra), non-accumulation, and humility in accepting alms—practices that stabilize the mind and support tapas and meditation, consistent with Kurma Purana’s yoga-oriented dharma.
Indirectly: the shared ascetic ethic—restraint, tapas, and purity—functions as common ground in the Kurma Purana’s Shaiva–Vaishnava synthesis, where devotion and yoga are strengthened through the same disciplined lifestyle.