Kurma Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 11
Virocana–Bali, Aditi’s Tapas, and the Vāmana–Trivikrama Episode
स लब्ध्वा परमं ज्ञानं दत्त्वा च गुरुदक्षिणाम् / निधाय पुत्रे तद्राज्यं योगाभ्यासरतो ऽभवत्
sa labdhvā paramaṃ jñānaṃ dattvā ca gurudakṣiṇām / nidhāya putre tadrājyaṃ yogābhyāsarato 'bhavat
Having attained the highest knowledge, and having offered the teacher’s due honorarium, he entrusted that kingdom to his son and became devoted to the disciplined practice of Yoga.
Narrator (Purāṇic narrator describing the king’s conduct after instruction)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: vira
FAQs
By emphasizing “paramaṁ jñānam” (supreme knowledge) as the turning point that leads to renunciation and Yoga, the verse implies that liberating insight into the Self/Reality is not merely intellectual—it transforms one’s identity from ruler to seeker of mokṣa.
The verse foregrounds “yogābhyāsa” (systematic yogic discipline). In Kurma Purana’s Shaiva-Vaishnava synthesis, this points to sustained practice—restraint, meditation, and inner absorption—undertaken after fulfilling social duties (like honoring the guru and responsibly transferring kingship).
While not naming Shiva or Vishnu directly, the verse reflects the Kurma Purana’s integrative ethic: dharma (right action), guru-bhakti, and Yoga leading to supreme knowledge—an approach compatible with both Shaiva (yoga/ascetic discipline) and Vaishnava (dharma and surrender) trajectories.