Shloka 12
Saṃnyāsa-dharma — Qualifications, Threefold Renunciation, and the Conduct of the Yati
आत्मनैव सहायेन सुखार्थं विचरेदिह / नाभिनन्देत मरणं नाभिनन्देत जीवितम्
ātmanaiva sahāyena sukhārthaṃ vicarediha / nābhinandeta maraṇaṃ nābhinandeta jīvitam
In dieser Welt soll man umhergehen und wahres Heil suchen, mit dem Selbst allein als Helfer; man freue sich weder über den Tod noch über das Leben.
Lord Kurma (Vishnu) instructing in a dharma–vairagya register consistent with Shaiva–Vaishnava synthesis
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: karuna
FAQs
It presents the Atman as the primary inner support—one’s true aid—implying that stability and guidance are grounded in the Self rather than external conditions.
The verse emphasizes yogic equanimity (samatva) and vairagya: living with inward reliance, and maintaining an even mind toward life and death—key ethical prerequisites for sustained meditation and higher Yoga.
While not naming them directly, the teaching aligns with the Kurma Purana’s synthesis: devotion and discipline culminate in Self-realization, a non-sectarian core shared across Shaiva and Vaishnava yogic frameworks.