Kurma Purana — Uttara Bhaga, Shloka 37
Dāna-dharma: Types of Charity, Worthy Recipients, Vrata-Timings, and Śiva–Viṣṇu Propitiation
द्विजानां वपुरास्थाय नित्यं तिष्ठन्ति देवताः / पूज्यन्ते ब्राह्मणालाभे प्रतिमादिष्वपि क्वचित्
dvijānāṃ vapurāsthāya nityaṃ tiṣṭhanti devatāḥ / pūjyante brāhmaṇālābhe pratimādiṣvapi kvacit
دیوتا دْوِجوں کے جسم کا سہارا لے کر ہمیشہ قائم رہتے ہیں؛ جب برہمن میسر نہ ہو تو کبھی کبھی پرتِما وغیرہ میں بھی ان کی پوجا کی جاتی ہے۔
Lord Kūrma (Viṣṇu) instructing on dharma and worship
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
FAQs
Indirectly, it teaches that divinity is not confined to a single ritual medium: the sacred presence can abide in a living bearer of dharma (the dvija) and, when needed, in a consecrated support (pratimā), pointing to a pervasive sacred reality rather than a merely material locus.
The verse emphasizes dharmic discipline as a foundation for worship: honoring the embodied locus of sattva and śāstra (the dvija) is a practical extension of inner purity (śauca) and right conduct (yama/niyama-like restraints), which the Kurma Purana repeatedly treats as prerequisites for higher yoga and devotion.
By prioritizing the living seat of divinity and allowing image-worship as a contextual substitute, the verse reflects the Purana’s integrative stance: the one sacred presence is approached through multiple sanctioned forms, consistent with the Kurma Purana’s broader Shaiva–Vaishnava synthesis.