Dharma of Non-Injury, Non-Stealing, Purity, and Avoidance of Hypocrisy (Ācāra and Saṅkarya-Nivṛtti)
अर्धक्रोशान्नदीकूलं वर्जयित्वा द्विजोत्तमः / नान्यत्र निवसेत् पुण्यं नान्त्यजग्रामसन्निधौ
ardhakrośānnadīkūlaṃ varjayitvā dvijottamaḥ / nānyatra nivaset puṇyaṃ nāntyajagrāmasannidhau
Dwija yang utama hendaklah mengelakkan tempat tinggal dalam jarak setengah krośa dari tebing sungai; dan jangan pula menetap di tempat lain, walaupun dianggap bertuah, jika ia berdekatan perkampungan kaum antyaja (golongan luar kasta).
Sūta (narrator) conveying traditional dharma injunctions within the Kurma Purana’s discourse
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka
This verse does not directly define Ātman; it frames external disciplines (place of residence and avoidance of ritually compromising proximity) as supportive conditions for purity and steadiness that, in the broader Kurma Purana, underpin higher spiritual pursuit.
No specific āsana, prāṇāyāma, or meditation is named; the verse highlights niyama-like restraints—choosing a suitable dwelling away from disruptive or impurity-associated zones—treated in Purāṇic dharma as preparatory to sustained japa, vrata, and contemplative practice.
It does not explicitly address Shiva–Vishnu unity; it belongs to the dharma layer of the text, which the Kurma Purana integrates with later devotional and yogic teachings that harmonize Shaiva and Vaishnava orientations.