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
He who studies the Vedas in the proper manner and then enters the householder āśrama is to be known as an upakurvāṇa—one who completes his studentship and returns to worldly dharma; whereas the naiṣṭhika is the lifelong brahmacārin, remaining a celibate student until death.
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.