Kurma Purana — Uttara Bhaga, Shloka 28
Yati-Āśrama: Bhikṣā-vidhi, Īśvara-dhyāna, and Prāyaścitta
Mahādeva as Non-dual Brahman
न धर्मयुक्तमनृतं हिनस्तीति मनीषिणः / तथापि च न कर्तव्यं प्रसङ्गो ह्येष दारुणः
na dharmayuktamanṛtaṃ hinastīti manīṣiṇaḥ / tathāpi ca na kartavyaṃ prasaṅgo hyeṣa dāruṇaḥ
يقول الحكماء إن الكذب إذا استُعمل في خدمة الدَّرما لا يُحدث ضررًا؛ ومع ذلك فلا ينبغي اللجوء إليه، لأنه منفذٌ مُروِّع يجرّ بسهولة إلى عواقب جسيمة.
Traditional narration in Kurma Purana’s dharma-upadeśa context (sage-teaching within the Purva-bhaga frame)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka
FAQs
Indirectly, it points to inner discipline: safeguarding truthfulness is a yama that steadies the mind, making it fit for Self-knowledge; excuses for falsehood agitate the conscience and obstruct inward clarity.
It emphasizes ethical restraint (yama), especially satya (truthfulness). Even if a lie seems ‘dharma-serving,’ the verse warns against forming a habit-pattern (saṁskāra) that destabilizes the practitioner’s steadiness and tapas.
By grounding spiritual progress in dharma and self-restraint, it aligns with the Kurma Purana’s unified Shaiva-Vaishnava ethic: devotion and yoga—whether oriented to Shiva or Vishnu—require the same moral foundation, especially satya.