Prāyaścitta for Theft, Forbidden Foods, Impurity, and Ritual Lapses; Tīrtha–Vrata Remedies; Pativratā Mahātmyam via Sītā and Agni
पङ्क्त्यां विषमदानं तु कृत्वा कृच्छ्रेण शुद्ध्यति / छायां श्वपाकस्यारुह्य स्नात्वा संप्राशयेद् घृतम्
paṅktyāṃ viṣamadānaṃ tu kṛtvā kṛcchreṇa śuddhyati / chāyāṃ śvapākasyāruhya snātvā saṃprāśayed ghṛtam
Trong bữa cúng thí thực theo hàng (paṅkti), nếu đã phân phát đồ ăn cúng dường một cách sai lệch hay bất bình đẳng, thì được thanh tịnh nhờ thực hành khổ hạnh sám hối Kṛcchra. Sau đó, bước vào bóng của một śvapāka (kẻ ngoài giai cấp/caṇḍāla), rồi tắm gội, và theo nghi lễ thọ dùng bơ tinh khiết (ghee).
Sūta (narrator) relaying the Kurma Purana’s dharma-śāstra injunctions on prāyaścitta
Primary Rasa: bibhatsa
Secondary Rasa: shanta
It does not teach Ātman metaphysics directly; it frames dharma as inner-and-outer purification, implying that ethical order and self-discipline (prāyaścitta) support clarity needed for higher knowledge.
No formal yogic technique is taught; the verse highlights tapas (austerity) through Kṛcchra and ritual cleansing, which function as preparatory disciplines (śuddhi) that traditional Yoga and Pāśupata-oriented practice treat as foundations for steadiness of mind.
Indirectly: the Kurma Purana’s synthesis often places dharma (right conduct and purification) as a shared ground for both Śaiva and Vaiṣṇava paths; this verse contributes that common dharmic framework rather than making an explicit sectarian statement.