Kurma Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 31
Kali-yuga Doṣas, the Supremacy of Rudra as Refuge, and the Closure of the Manvantara Teaching
मोहयन्ति जनान् सर्वान् दर्शयित्वा फलानि च / तमसाविष्टमनसो वैडालवृत्तिकाधमाः
mohayanti janān sarvān darśayitvā phalāni ca / tamasāviṣṭamanaso vaiḍālavṛttikādhamāḥ
ফল দেখিয়ে তারা সকল মানুষকে মোহিত করে; তমসে আচ্ছন্ন মন নিয়ে সেই অধমেরা বিড়ালসদৃশ কপট ও চৌর্যবৃত্তিতে জীবনযাপন করে।
Lord Kurma (Vishnu) instructing the sages (context of dharma and discernment)
Primary Rasa: bibhatsa
Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka
FAQs
Indirectly: it warns that flashy “fruits” and displays can mislead; realization of Self is not proven by show but by inner purity and freedom from tamas (ignorance).
The verse emphasizes yogic discernment (viveka) and sattva-building discipline—avoiding tamasic influences and suspicious “quick results,” aligning practice with dharma rather than performance.
By stressing a shared dharmic-yogic standard: whether framed in Shaiva Pāśupata or Vaiṣṇava devotion, authentic spiritual life rejects tamasic deception and values inner transformation.