Kurma Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 75
Cosmic Manifestation, Mahāmāyā’s Mandate, Varṇāśrama-Dharma, and the Unity of the Trimūrti
यो ऽधीत्यविधिवद्वेदान् गृहस्थाश्रममाव्रजेत् / उपकुर्वाणको ज्ञेयो नैष्ठिको मरणान्तिकः
yo 'dhītyavidhivadvedān gṛhasthāśramamāvrajet / upakurvāṇako jñeyo naiṣṭhiko maraṇāntikaḥ
যে বিধিপূর্বক বেদ অধ্যয়ন করে গৃহস্থাশ্রমে প্রবেশ করে, সে ‘উপকুর্বাণক’ নামে পরিচিত; আর যে ‘নৈষ্ঠিক’, সে আজীবন ব্রহ্মচারী থেকে মৃত্যু পর্যন্ত স্বাধ্যায়ে নিবিষ্ট থাকে।
Lord Kurma (as the Purana’s authoritative narrator on dharma and āśrama-duties)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: vira
FAQs
This verse does not directly define Ātman; it sets a dharmic framework (āśrama-dharma) that supports purification and steadiness—preconditions for later Self-knowledge emphasized elsewhere in the Kurma Purana.
No specific yogic technique is taught here; the verse highlights disciplined Vedic study and life-stage commitment—either transitioning to gṛhastha duties (upakurvāṇa) or sustaining lifelong brahmacarya (naiṣṭhika)—as foundational disciplines that later mature into yoga and contemplation.
It does not mention Shiva–Vishnu explicitly; its contribution to the Kurma Purana’s synthesis is indirect—affirming shared dharmic structures (Veda, āśrama, brahmacarya) that underpin both Shaiva (including Pāśupata) and Vaishnava paths.