Kurma Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 18
Sapta-dvīpa Cosmography and the Vision of Śvetadvīpa–Vaikuṇṭha
कपिला ब्राह्मणाः प्रोक्ता राजानश्चारुणास्तथा / पीता वैश्याः स्मृताः कृष्णा द्वीपे ऽस्मिन् वृषला द्विजाः
kapilā brāhmaṇāḥ proktā rājānaścāruṇāstathā / pītā vaiśyāḥ smṛtāḥ kṛṣṇā dvīpe 'smin vṛṣalā dvijāḥ
Dans ce continent-île, on dit que les brāhmanes sont kapila (fauves); les rois, de même, au teint clair et gracieux; les vaiśyas sont tenus pour jaunâtres; tandis que les śūdras sont sombres. Ici, même les deux-fois-nés sont regardés comme « vṛṣala » (déchu de la juste conduite).
Sūta (narrator) recounting the Purāṇic cosmography to the sages (contextual narrative voice of the Kurma Purana)
Primary Rasa: raudra
Secondary Rasa: karuna
FAQs
This verse is primarily cosmographic and socio-ethical, describing varna-identities and conduct in a particular dvīpa; it does not directly teach Ātman-doctrine, but it implies that dharma (right conduct) is the standard by which spiritual status is judged rather than birth alone.
No specific yogic technique is taught in this verse; its practical takeaway aligns with Kurma Purana’s broader dharma-yoga framework: purification of conduct (ācāra-śuddhi) is prerequisite to higher disciplines like japa, vrata, and meditative yoga described elsewhere (including themes associated with Pāśupata-oriented practice).
It does not explicitly mention Śiva or Viṣṇu; however, within the Kurma Purana’s Shaiva-Vaishnava synthesis, such dharma-oriented classifications are framed as part of a single divine order (īśvara-śāsana) upheld by the Supreme, whether spoken through Kurma (Viṣṇu) or aligned with Śaiva ethical ideals.