Kurma Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 18
Sapta-dvīpa Cosmography and the Vision of Śvetadvīpa–Vaikuṇṭha
कपिला ब्राह्मणाः प्रोक्ता राजानश्चारुणास्तथा / पीता वैश्याः स्मृताः कृष्णा द्वीपे ऽस्मिन् वृषला द्विजाः
kapilā brāhmaṇāḥ proktā rājānaścāruṇāstathā / pītā vaiśyāḥ smṛtāḥ kṛṣṇā dvīpe 'smin vṛṣalā dvijāḥ
في هذا الإقليم الجزيري يُقال إن البراهمة كَپِلا (قمحيّو اللون)، والملوك كذلك حَسَنو السَّمْتِ مُشرِقو البشرة؛ والفيشيا يُذكَرون مائلين إلى الصفرة؛ أمّا الشودرا فداكنو اللون. وهنا حتى ذوو الولادتين يُعَدّون «فْرِشَلا» (ساقطين عن السلوك القويم).
Sūta (narrator) recounting the Purāṇic cosmography to the sages (contextual narrative voice of the Kurma Purana)
Primary Rasa: raudra
Secondary Rasa: karuna
FAQs
This verse is primarily cosmographic and socio-ethical, describing varna-identities and conduct in a particular dvīpa; it does not directly teach Ātman-doctrine, but it implies that dharma (right conduct) is the standard by which spiritual status is judged rather than birth alone.
No specific yogic technique is taught in this verse; its practical takeaway aligns with Kurma Purana’s broader dharma-yoga framework: purification of conduct (ācāra-śuddhi) is prerequisite to higher disciplines like japa, vrata, and meditative yoga described elsewhere (including themes associated with Pāśupata-oriented practice).
It does not explicitly mention Śiva or Viṣṇu; however, within the Kurma Purana’s Shaiva-Vaishnava synthesis, such dharma-oriented classifications are framed as part of a single divine order (īśvara-śāsana) upheld by the Supreme, whether spoken through Kurma (Viṣṇu) or aligned with Śaiva ethical ideals.