Shloka 35
Dharma of Non-Injury, Non-Stealing, Purity, and Avoidance of Hypocrisy (Ācāra and Saṅkarya-Nivṛtti)
न कुर्याद् बहुभिः सार्धं विरोधं बन्धुभिस्तथा / आत्मनः प्रतिकूलानि परेषां न समाचरेत्
na kuryād bahubhiḥ sārdhaṃ virodhaṃ bandhubhistathā / ātmanaḥ pratikūlāni pareṣāṃ na samācaret
പലരോടും വിരോധത്തിലേർപ്പെടരുത്; ബന്ധുക്കളോടും കലഹിക്കരുത്. തനിക്കു പ്രതികൂലമായതു മറ്റുള്ളവരോടു ചെയ്യരുത്.
Lord Kūrma (Viṣṇu) instructing the sages on dharma and self-restraint
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: vira
FAQs
By using oneself (ātman) as the measure of what is harmful, the verse teaches self-reflection and inner discernment as the basis of dharma—ethical conduct begins from knowing what causes suffering to the self and refusing to inflict that on others.
It emphasizes ethical restraint akin to yama: non-hostility, social harmony, and refraining from harmful action. In the Kurma Purana’s soteriology, such self-control is a prerequisite for higher practice—mantra, worship, and meditative steadiness—associated with Shaiva-Vaishnava synthesis and Pāśupata-oriented discipline.
Indirectly: it presents a shared dharmic ethic central to both Shaiva and Vaishnava paths—self-restraint, non-harm, and social concord—supporting the Kurma Purana’s integrative vision where right conduct undergirds devotion and liberation regardless of sectarian emphasis.