Kurma Purana — Uttara Bhaga, Shloka 33
Vānaprastha-Dharma: Forest Discipline, Vaikhānasa Austerities, and Śiva-Āśrama as the Liberative Refuge
अथ चाग्नीन् समारोप्य स्वात्मनि ध्यानतत्परः / अनग्निरनिकेतः स्यान्मुनिर्मोक्षपरो भवेत्
atha cāgnīn samāropya svātmani dhyānatatparaḥ / anagniraniketaḥ syānmunirmokṣaparo bhavet
Then, having inwardly installed the sacred fires within his own Self and becoming wholly devoted to meditation on the Ātman, he should live without external fire and without a fixed dwelling; such a sage becomes intent upon liberation.
Lord Kurma (Vishnu) instructing on moksha-dharma (renunciant discipline) in a Shaiva–Vaishnava synthesis tone
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
FAQs
It treats the Ātman as the true inner altar: the sacred fires are to be ‘installed’ within oneself, implying that realization is inward—through Self-meditation rather than external ritual alone.
It emphasizes ātma-dhyāna (meditation on the Self) with single-pointed commitment, alongside renunciant discipline—living without external fires and without attachment to a fixed home, aligning with a Pashupata-leaning inner-yajña orientation.
By privileging inner realization over outer markers, it reflects the Purana’s synthetic approach: devotion and yoga culminate in moksha as a shared, non-sectarian spiritual goal, harmonizing Shaiva ascetic ideals with Vaishnava teaching authority.