Kurma Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 12
Yuga-Dharma: The Four Ages, Decline of Dharma, and the Rise of Social Order
त्वं हि लोकेषु विख्यातो धृतिमाञ् जनवत्सलः / पालयाद्य परं धर्मं स्वकीयं मुच्यसे भयात्
tvaṃ hi lokeṣu vikhyāto dhṛtimāñ janavatsalaḥ / pālayādya paraṃ dharmaṃ svakīyaṃ mucyase bhayāt
Engkau termasyhur di seluruh alam—teguh hati dan penyayang terhadap rakyat. Maka peliharalah kini Dharma yang tertinggi, yakni kewajipanmu yang ditetapkan; dengan itu engkau akan terlepas daripada ketakutan.
Narrator/Sage addressing King Indradyumna (didactic counsel within the Kurma Purana’s dharma-teaching frame)
Primary Rasa: vira
Secondary Rasa: shanta
FAQs
Indirectly: it links fearlessness (abhaya) to living in alignment with one’s highest dharma; in Purāṇic teaching, fear diminishes as one becomes steady in righteous order that reflects the inner Self’s stability.
The verse emphasizes dharma-yoga in the form of disciplined duty (svakīya-dharma) and steadfastness (dhṛti). In Kurma Purana’s broader spiritual framework, such steadiness supports inner purification that complements Pāśupata-oriented sādhanā.
Not explicitly in this verse; the synthesis appears at the level of shared dharma: the same supreme dharma upheld by a righteous ruler is presented elsewhere in the Kurma Purana as harmonious with both Śaiva and Vaiṣṇava paths.