Shloka 1
Varnāśrama-Krama, Vairāgya as the Ground of Saṃnyāsa, and Brahmārpaṇa Karma-yoga
इति श्रीकूर्मपुराणे षट्साहस्त्र्यां संहितायां पूर्वविभागे द्वितीयो ऽध्यायः ऋषय ऊचुः वर्णा भगवतोद्दिष्टाश्चत्वारो ऽप्याश्रमास्तथा / इदानीं क्रममस्माकमाश्रमाणां वद प्रभो
iti śrīkūrmapurāṇe ṣaṭsāhastryāṃ saṃhitāyāṃ pūrvavibhāge dvitīyo 'dhyāyaḥ ṛṣaya ūcuḥ varṇā bhagavatoddiṣṭāścatvāro 'pyāśramāstathā / idānīṃ kramamasmākamāśramāṇāṃ vada prabho
Demikianlah, dalam Śrī Kūrma Purāṇa, pada Ṣaṭsāhasrī Saṃhitā, bagian awal, berakhirlah bab kedua. Para ṛṣi berkata: “Empat varṇa telah diajarkan oleh Bhagavān, demikian pula empat āśrama; kini, wahai Prabhu, jelaskanlah kepada kami urutan āśrama-āśrama itu.”
The sages (Ṛṣayaḥ)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
FAQs
This verse does not directly define Ātman; it frames the sages’ dharmic inquiry, requesting the Lord to teach the ordered discipline of the āśramas—an outer framework that, in the Purāṇic vision, supports inner purification leading toward Self-knowledge.
No specific yogic technique is described in this verse. It introduces the topic of āśrama-dharma, within which later teachings typically situate practices like brahmacarya, vows (vrata), austerity (tapas), and contemplative discipline as supports for spiritual realization.
The verse does not explicitly mention Śiva or Viṣṇu; it addresses “Bhagavān” as the authoritative teacher of dharma. In the Kūrma Purāṇa’s broader synthesis, such instruction is presented as consistent with both Śaiva and Vaiṣṇava paths, integrating social-dharmic order with liberation-oriented practice.