Shloka 131
Devadāru (Dāruvana) Forest: The Delusion of Ritual Pride, the Liṅga Crisis, and the Teaching of Jñāna–Pāśupata Yoga
एतस्मात् कारणाद् विप्रानृणां केवलधर्मिणाम् / आगतो ऽहमिमं देशं ज्ञापयन् मोहसंभवम्
etasmāt kāraṇād viprānṛṇāṃ kevaladharmiṇām / āgato 'hamimaṃ deśaṃ jñāpayan mohasaṃbhavam
याच कारणामुळे, हे विप्रहो—केवळ धर्मनिष्ठ जनांनो—मोहाचा उद्गम कळविण्यास मी या देशी आलो आहे।
Lord Kūrma (Vishnu) addressing sages/Brahmins
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
FAQs
By foregrounding the analysis of moha (delusion), the verse implies that liberation depends on discerning the Self beyond भ्रम/avidyā; the teaching begins by tracing how delusion arises so that Atman-knowledge can remove it.
This verse functions as a preface to instruction: before Yoga culminates in samādhi, one must understand the genesis of moha. In the Kurma Purana’s yogic framing (often aligned with Pāśupata and jñāna-oriented discipline), diagnosing delusion is the first step toward viveka, vairāgya, and steady meditation.
Although Shiva is not named in this line, the Kurma Purana’s broader synthesis frames the Lord’s teaching as non-sectarian: Vishnu-as-Kūrma instructs on moha and dharma in a way that harmonizes with Shaiva-Pāśupata and Vedantic jñāna, emphasizing one liberating truth taught through multiple theistic forms.