Kurma Purana — Uttara Bhaga, Shloka 19
Prāyaścitta for Mahāpātakas — Brahmahatyā, Association with the Fallen, and Tīrtha-Based Purification
ब्राह्मणार्थे गवार्थे वा सम्यक् प्राणान् परित्यजेत् / ब्रह्महत्यापनोदार्थमन्तरा वा मृतस्य तु
brāhmaṇārthe gavārthe vā samyak prāṇān parityajet / brahmahatyāpanodārthamantarā vā mṛtasya tu
Vì lợi ích của một người Bà-la-môn, hoặc vì một con bò, người ta nên xả bỏ mạng sống của mình một cách đúng đắn. Hoặc để xóa bỏ tội giết Bà-la-môn, người ta phải thực hiện sự chuộc tội cho đến khi chết.
Traditional Purāṇic narrator (instructional dharma passage within the Kurma Purana)
Primary Rasa: raudra
Secondary Rasa: shanta
FAQs
This verse does not directly define Ātman metaphysics; it frames dharma as life-governing duty, implying that ethical sacrifice and purification are prerequisites for higher spiritual realization taught elsewhere in the Kurma Purana.
No specific meditation technique is stated; the verse emphasizes dharmic discipline—self-sacrifice for protected beings and rigorous prāyaścitta—which functions as moral purification supportive of later Kurma Purana teachings on Yoga and inner steadiness.
The verse is primarily a dharma/prāyaścitta injunction and does not explicitly address Shiva–Vishnu unity; its ethical framework aligns with the Purana’s broader synthesis where devotion and discipline are shared foundations across Shaiva and Vaishnava paths.