Kurma Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 52
Cosmic Manifestation, Mahāmāyā’s Mandate, Varṇāśrama-Dharma, and the Unity of the Trimūrti
धर्मात् संजायते ह्यर्थो धर्मात् कामो ऽभिजायते / धर्म एवापवर्गाय तस्माद् धर्मं समाश्रयेत्
dharmāt saṃjāyate hyartho dharmāt kāmo 'bhijāyate / dharma evāpavargāya tasmād dharmaṃ samāśrayet
من الدَّرما ينشأ الأَرثا (الرخاء الدنيوي)، ومن الدَّرما تولد الكاما (المتعة المشروعة). والدَّرما وحدها تقود إلى الأپاورغا (التحرّر النهائي)، فلذلك فليتّخذ المرءُ الدَّرما ملجأً.
Lord Kurma (Vishnu) instructing the sages/Indradyumna on dharma
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
FAQs
By declaring that dharma culminates in apavarga (liberation), the verse implies that the highest aim is release into the Self’s freedom beyond worldly aims; artha and kāma are subordinate and purified when rooted in dharma.
This verse does not prescribe a specific technique; it frames dharma as the indispensable foundation for higher sādhana—ethical discipline, self-restraint, and duty performed in right order—upon which Yogic realization and liberation become possible.
It teaches a shared Purāṇic synthesis: whether approached through Vaiṣṇava devotion or Śaiva/Pāśupata discipline, dharma is the common ground that matures into mokṣa; sectarian paths are harmonized by the primacy of dharma leading to liberation.