Kurma Purana — Uttara Bhaga, Shloka 50
Karma-yoga Discipline for the Twice-born: Upanayana, Upavīta Conduct, Guru-veneration, and Alms-regimen
पञ्चानां त्रिषु वर्णेषु भूयांसि बलवन्ति च / यत्र स्युः सो ऽत्र मानार्हः शूद्रो ऽपि दशमीं गतः
pañcānāṃ triṣu varṇeṣu bhūyāṃsi balavanti ca / yatra syuḥ so 'tra mānārhaḥ śūdro 'pi daśamīṃ gataḥ
Di antara tiga varna yang lebih tinggi, siapa yang memiliki lebih banyak dari lima kebajikan itu dan kuat padanya, dialah yang patut dihormati. Bahkan seorang śūdra pun—bila mencapai tingkat kesepuluh (keluhuran)—layak dimuliakan.
Traditional purāṇic narrator (instructional dharma discourse within the Kurma Purana’s Purva-bhaga context)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
FAQs
Indirectly: it prioritizes inner qualities (guṇa/adhikāra) over mere birth-status, aligning with the Purāṇic view that spiritual worth is grounded in cultivated virtues that support self-knowledge.
No specific technique is named; the verse stresses eligibility through strengthened virtues—an ethical foundation (yama-like discipline) that supports higher sādhana such as Pāśupata-oriented devotion, japa, and contemplation taught elsewhere in the Kurma Purana.
Not explicitly; however, its merit-based dharma framework is consistent with the Kurma Purana’s broader Shaiva–Vaishnava synthesis, where devotion and discipline—not sectarian identity—govern spiritual honor and progress.