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
ภายในกึ่งเดือน เทพและพรหมฤๅษีดื่มโสมผู้มีสภาวะเป็นอมฤตจนหมดสิ้น; เพราะเหตุนั้นท่านทั้งหลายจึงได้ชื่อว่า “ผู้บริโภคอมฤต”.
Vyasa (narrative voice in Purana-style exposition)
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
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.