Kurma Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 51
Cosmic Manifestation, Mahāmāyā’s Mandate, Varṇāśrama-Dharma, and the Unity of the Trimūrti
परित्यजेदर्थकामौ यौ स्यातां धर्मवर्जितौ / सर्वलोकविरुद्धं च धर्ममप्याचरेन्न तु
parityajedarthakāmau yau syātāṃ dharmavarjitau / sarvalokaviruddhaṃ ca dharmamapyācarenna tu
One should renounce artha and kāma when they are devoid of dharma; and one should not practice even that which is called “dharma” if it stands opposed to the welfare and common accord of all people.
Lord Kurma (Vishnu) instructing on dharma
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: raudra
FAQs
By subordinating artha and kāma to dharma, the verse implies an inner hierarchy where the Self is realized through purity and right order; desire-driven aims that violate dharma obscure discernment (viveka) needed for Atman-knowledge.
The verse highlights yama-like ethical restraints: renouncing dharma-opposed gain and pleasure, and rejecting harmful ‘pseudo-dharma.’ In the Kurma Purana’s wider yogic frame (including Pashupata-oriented discipline), such moral purification is foundational for steadiness of mind and higher practice.
It reflects the Purana’s integrative stance: the Supreme’s instruction (as Lord Kurma/Vishnu) upholds dharma as universal, aligning with Shaiva-Pashupata ethics that reject adharmic desire and socially destructive ritualism—showing a shared dharmic ground across sectarian forms.