Kurma Purana — Uttara Bhaga, Shloka 33
Snātaka and Gṛhastha-Dharma: Conduct, Marriage Norms, Daily Rites, and Liberating Virtues
अधीत्य विधिवद् विद्यामर्थं चैवोपलभ्य तु / धर्मकार्यान्निवृत्तश्चेन्न तद् विज्ञानमिष्यते
adhītya vidhivad vidyāmarthaṃ caivopalabhya tu / dharmakāryānnivṛttaścenna tad vijñānamiṣyate
Even after studying knowledge by the proper method and grasping its meaning, if one turns away from the duties of dharma, that is not accepted as true realization (vijñāna).
Sūta (narrator) conveying the Kurma Purana’s dharma-teaching in context
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: raudra
FAQs
It implies that genuine inner realization (vijñāna) is not mere intellectual grasp; it must mature into dharma-aligned living—an outward sign that knowledge has become inwardly assimilated.
The verse emphasizes karma-yoga discipline: study with proper method, reflect on meaning, and embody it through dharmic duties—without this integration, meditative insight is treated as incomplete.
Indirectly, it reflects the Kurma Purana’s synthesis: whichever deity is invoked, authentic spirituality is measured by dharma and realized discernment, not sectarian identity or mere scholarship.