Kurma Purana — Uttara Bhaga, Shloka 71
Aśauca-vidhi — Rules of Birth/Death Impurity, Sapinda Circles, and Śrāddha Sequence
नैष्ठिकानां वनस्थानां यतीनां ब्रह्मचारिणाम् / नाशौचं कीर्त्यते सद्भिः पतिते च तथा मृते
naiṣṭhikānāṃ vanasthānāṃ yatīnāṃ brahmacāriṇām / nāśaucaṃ kīrtyate sadbhiḥ patite ca tathā mṛte
Đối với những bậc xuất ly kiên định, người ở rừng, các yati (sa-môn khất sĩ) và các brahmacārin, người hiền đức tuyên rằng không có āśauca (ô uế nghi lễ) — dù liên quan đến kẻ sa ngã, và cũng vậy ngay cả khi có người chết.
Lord Kurma (Vishnu) instructing in dharma-śāstra style on āśauca rules
Primary Rasa: shanta
FAQs
By exempting dedicated ascetics from external impurity rules, the verse implies a priority of inner purity and steadfast Brahman-orientation over ritual conditions—pointing toward the Atman-centered ideal where realization and disciplined renunciation transcend social-ritual fluctuations.
The verse highlights the ascetic disciplines associated with brahmacarya, vānaprastha restraint, and yati-life—foundational supports for meditative steadiness (dhyāna) and yogic continence, which the Kurma Purana frames within a dharmic path compatible with Pāśupata-leaning renunciation and devotion.
While not naming Shiva directly, the verse reflects the Purana’s synthesis: the highest spiritual aim is inner renunciant purity and yogic steadiness—an ideal shared across Shaiva (Pāśupata) and Vaishnava frameworks, where devotion and discipline converge beyond merely external ritual markers.