Shloka 55
Dharma of Non-Injury, Non-Stealing, Purity, and Avoidance of Hypocrisy (Ācāra and Saṅkarya-Nivṛtti)
नात्मानं चावमन्येत दैन्यं यत्नेन वर्जयेत् / न विशिष्टानसत्कुर्यात् नात्मानं वा शपेद् बुधः
nātmānaṃ cāvamanyeta dainyaṃ yatnena varjayet / na viśiṣṭānasatkuryāt nātmānaṃ vā śaped budhaḥ
لا تحتقر نفسك، واجتهد في اجتناب روح الذلّ والانكسار. ولا يسيء الحكيم إلى من هو أرفع منه، ولا يلعن نفسه.
Lord Kūrma (Viṣṇu) instructing the sages/seekers in dharma-nīti
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: vira
FAQs
By forbidding self-contempt and self-cursing, the verse treats the self as worthy of reverence and disciplined care—supporting the dharmic view that the embodied person should safeguard the dignity of the ātman while cultivating virtue.
It emphasizes foundational yama-like restraints: avoiding self-deprecation, maintaining inner steadiness, and practicing respectful conduct toward elders and the virtuous—ethical purification that supports later yoga and devotion taught in the Kurma Purana.
It does not explicitly mention Śiva or Viṣṇu, but it aligns with the Purana’s integrated dharma-yoga ethos: inner discipline and reverence are presented as universally required for sādhana, regardless of whether one approaches through Vaiṣṇava or Śaiva frames.