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
Quien estudia los Vedas conforme al rito debido y luego entra en el āśrama de jefe de familia debe ser conocido como «upakurvāṇa», el estudiante que concluye su estudio y vuelve a los deberes del mundo; en cambio, el «naiṣṭhika» es el que permanece como brahmacārī, estudiante célibe de por vida, hasta la muerte.
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.