Kurma Purana — Uttara Bhaga, Shloka 27

Ācamana-vidhi, Śauca, and Conduct Rules for Study, Eating, and Bodily Functions

Devanagari script

नोच्छिष्टं कुर्वते मुख्या विप्रुषो ऽङ्गं नयन्ति याः / दन्तवद् दन्तलग्नेषु जिह्वास्पर्शे ऽशुचिर्भवेत्

Transliteration

nocchiṣṭaṃ kurvate mukhyā vipruṣo 'ṅgaṃ nayanti yāḥ / dantavad dantalagneṣu jihvāsparśe 'śucirbhavet

Translation

若人在进食时使口成“乌奇施塔”(ucchiṣṭa，沾染残余之秽)，或有食物/唾液之滴落于肢体，便成不净。又若食物卡在齿缝，应视同附着于牙上；舌若触及之，亦速成不净。

Word by Word

• न: not
• न: Pratiṣedha (प्रतिषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक अव्यय (negation particle)

• उच्छिष्टम्: leftover/impure (food-remnant)
• उच्छिष्टम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: उच्छिष्ट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• कुर्वते: make/do
• कुर्वते: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन (Plural), आत्मनेपद

• मुख्याः: the principal (drops/ones)
• मुख्याः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुख्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural)

• विप्रुषः: drops/sprinkles
• विप्रुषः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्रुष् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural)

• अङ्गम्: the body/limb
• अङ्गम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• नयन्ति: lead/carry (to)
• नयन्ति: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: नी (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन (Plural), परस्मैपद

• याः: which (drops)
• याः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural); सम्बन्धबोधक (relative pronoun)

• दन्तवत्: like (a tooth)
• दन्तवत्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/तुलना)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: दन्तवत् (प्रातिपदिक/अव्ययवत्)
• Form: अव्यय (indeclinable), उपमानार्थ (adverbial: ‘like/with teeth’)

• दन्तलग्नेषु: on those stuck to the teeth
• दन्तलग्नेषु: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दन्त + लग्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), बहुवचन (Plural); समासः—दन्तेषु लग्न (सप्तमी-तत्पुरुष/उपपद)

• जिह्वास्पर्शे: upon contact with the tongue
• जिह्वास्पर्शे: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जिह्वा + स्पर्श (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन (Singular); समासः—जिह्वायाः स्पर्शः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष)

• अशुचिः: impure
• अशुचिः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अशुचि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• भवेत्: would become
• भवेत्: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

Speaker

Sūta (narrating traditional dharma-śāstra style rules of purity within the Kurma Purana’s discourse)

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bibhatsa

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Characters & Entities

• Kurma Purana
• Dharma
• Śauca (purity)
• Ucchiṣṭa

More Details (4 sections)

FAQs

How does this verse explain the nature of the Supreme Self (Atman)?

Indirectly: it teaches śauca (purity) as a discipline that steadies the embodied mind. Such bodily and behavioral restraint supports clarity (sattva) that is traditionally considered conducive to realizing the Atman.

What Yoga or Meditative practices are highlighted here?

It highlights preparatory discipline akin to niyama (śauca). By regulating eating and avoiding contamination (ucchiṣṭa, droplets, oral impurities), one cultivates bodily order and mental attentiveness that support mantra, japa, and meditation.

How does this verse depict the relationship between Shiva and Vishnu?

Not explicitly; the synthesis is contextual: the Purana frames shared dharmic disciplines (like śauca) as common groundwork for both Vaiṣṇava devotion and Śaiva/Pāśupata-oriented yoga, emphasizing a unified ethical-spiritual foundation.