Kurma Purana — Uttara Bhaga, Shloka 87
Śrāddha-vidhi for Pitṛs: Invitations, Purity, Offerings, and Conduct
न जीवत्पितृको दद्याद्धोमान्तं चाभिधीयते / येषां वापि पिता दद्यात् तेषां चैके प्रचक्षते
na jīvatpitṛko dadyāddhomāntaṃ cābhidhīyate / yeṣāṃ vāpi pitā dadyāt teṣāṃ caike pracakṣate
Người còn cha sống thì không nên làm sự bố thí (nghi lễ) ấy; và điều này cũng được nói là kéo dài cho đến khi kết thúc homa (lễ hiến cúng lửa). Tuy vậy, có bậc thẩm quyền cho rằng nếu chính người cha dâng (hoặc cho phép dâng) thì các con cũng được phép làm.
Sūta (narrator) conveying dharma-śāstric injunctions within the Kurma Purana’s discourse
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka
FAQs
This verse is primarily dharma-vidhi (ritual-ethical law), not direct ātma-tattva teaching; it implies that spiritual merit (puṇya) is pursued through ordered duty and rightful authority, which in the Kurma Purana supports inner discipline that later culminates in higher knowledge.
No seated meditation is described; the practice emphasized is karma-yoga in the form of regulated dāna and homa—performing rites with proper eligibility and lineage-respect, which the Purana treats as a foundation for purity (śuddhi) that supports higher sādhanā.
It does not explicitly mention Shiva–Vishnu unity; instead it reflects the Kurma Purana’s integrative approach where correct dharma (including homa and dāna) is shared religious ground across Shaiva and Vaishnava observances.