Kurma Purana — Uttara Bhaga, Shloka 15
Vānaprastha-Dharma: Forest Discipline, Vaikhānasa Austerities, and Śiva-Āśrama as the Liberative Refuge
न नक्तं किञ्चिदश्नीयाद् रात्रौ ध्यानपरो भवेत् / जितेन्द्रियो जितक्रोधस्तत्त्वज्ञानविचिन्तकः / ब्रह्मचारी भवेन्नित्यं न पत्नीमपि संश्रयेत्
na naktaṃ kiñcidaśnīyād rātrau dhyānaparo bhavet / jitendriyo jitakrodhastattvajñānavicintakaḥ / brahmacārī bhavennityaṃ na patnīmapi saṃśrayet
Jangan makan apa pun pada malam hari; pada malam hari hendaknya tekun bermeditasi. Dengan indria ditaklukkan dan amarah diredam, renungkan pengetahuan hakikat (tattva-jñāna). Senantiasa hiduplah sebagai brahmacārin, tanpa bersandar bahkan pada istri.
Lord Kūrma (Vishnu) instructing on dharma-yoga disciplines (brahmacarya, niyama) in the Kurma Purana’s Shaiva-Vaishnava synthesis
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: vira
FAQs
By urging “tattva-jñāna-vicintana” (reflection on the truth), the verse points to realization through contemplative knowledge rather than ritual pleasure—implying the Self is approached by inner discipline, clarity, and meditative inquiry.
Night-time fasting (no food at night), sustained dhyāna (meditation), indriya-jaya (sense conquest), krodha-jaya (anger conquest), and continuous brahmacarya are presented as foundational niyamas supporting deeper yogic absorption and knowledge of tattva.
Though not naming Śiva or Viṣṇu explicitly, the verse reflects the Kurma Purana’s shared yogic ethic central to both Vaiṣṇava bhakti and Śaiva (including Pāśupata) discipline: liberation is pursued through restraint, meditation, and truth-knowledge rather than indulgence.