Kurma Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 47
Cosmic Manifestation, Mahāmāyā’s Mandate, Varṇāśrama-Dharma, and the Unity of the Trimūrti
वेदाभ्यासो ऽन्वहं शक्त्या श्राद्धं चातिथिपूजनम् / गृहस्थस्य परो धर्मो देवताभ्यर्चनं तथा
vedābhyāso 'nvahaṃ śaktyā śrāddhaṃ cātithipūjanam / gṛhasthasya paro dharmo devatābhyarcanaṃ tathā
गृहस्थ का परम धर्म यह है—शक्ति के अनुसार प्रतिदिन वेद-अध्ययन, श्राद्ध-कर्म, अतिथि-सत्कार, और उसी प्रकार देवताओं की पूजा।
Lord Kūrma (Vishnu) instructing on varṇāśrama-dharma
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: vira
FAQs
It does not define Ātman directly; it grounds spiritual life in gṛhastha-dharma—Vedic study, śrāddha, hospitality, and deity-worship—as purifying disciplines that prepare one for higher realization.
The verse emphasizes karma-yoga-like foundations for householders: disciplined svādhyāya (Vedic study), ritual offerings (śrāddha), atithi-sevā, and devatā-arcana—practices that steady the mind and sanctify daily action.
It presents a non-sectarian frame: worship of “devatās” is affirmed as dharma, aligning with the Kurma Purana’s broader Shaiva–Vaishnava synthesis where devotion and duty are upheld beyond narrow exclusivism.