Kurma Purana — Uttara Bhaga, Shloka 16
Rules of Food, Acceptance, and Purity for the Twice-Born
Dvija-Śauca and Anna-Doṣa
आर्धिकः कुलमित्रश्च स्वगोपालश्च नापितः / एते शूद्रेषु भोज्यान्ना यश्चात्मानं निवेदयेत्
ārdhikaḥ kulamitraśca svagopālaśca nāpitaḥ / ete śūdreṣu bhojyānnā yaścātmānaṃ nivedayet
آردھک (بٹائی دار)، کُلمِتر (گھر والوں کی خوشامد سے جینے والا)، اپنا گوالا اور نائی—شودروں میں یہ کھلانے کے لائق ہیں؛ اور جو اپنے آپ کو خدمت میں سپرد کرے وہ بھی۔
Sūta (narrator) conveying the Kurma Purana’s dharma-instructions as taught in the dialogue tradition
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: vira
FAQs
It uses “ātma-nivedana” in a practical, dharmic sense—offering one’s person in service—rather than a metaphysical definition of Ātman; the focus here is ethical duty and social support.
No explicit yogic technique is taught in this verse; it supports the broader Kurma Purana ethic that disciplined conduct (dharma) and service-oriented humility form a foundation for higher sādhanā such as Pāśupata-oriented devotion and contemplation found elsewhere.
It does not directly address Śiva–Viṣṇu unity; it belongs to the dharma section that undergirds the Purana’s larger synthesis, where right conduct and service prepare the seeker for sect-transcending devotion taught in other chapters.