Shloka 38
Dharma of Non-Injury, Non-Stealing, Purity, and Avoidance of Hypocrisy (Ācāra and Saṅkarya-Nivṛtti)
यस्तु देवानृषीन् विप्रान्वेदान् वा निन्दति द्विजः / न तस्य निष्कृतिर्दृष्टा शास्त्रेष्विह मुनीश्वराः
yastu devānṛṣīn viprānvedān vā nindati dvijaḥ / na tasya niṣkṛtirdṛṣṭā śāstreṣviha munīśvarāḥ
Namun, dwija yang mencela para dewa, para rishi, para resi Brahmana, atau Veda—wahai yang terbaik di antara para muni—tiada didapati penebusan dosa baginya di dalam śāstra ini.
Suta (narrator) conveying the Kurma Purana’s dharma-teaching in a sages’ dialogue context
Primary Rasa: raudra
Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka
FAQs
Indirectly: it safeguards the śāstric means of knowing the Self—by declaring that reviling devas, ṛṣis, and especially the Veda (śruti) is a grave obstruction to right knowledge and liberation-oriented dharma.
It emphasizes the prerequisite attitude for Yoga—śraddhā (reverent trust) toward Veda, sages, and dharma. In Kurma Purana’s Pashupata-leaning frame, inner discipline and devotion cannot mature if one commits śāstra-nindā (scriptural blasphemy).
By insisting on reverence for devas and Vedic authority rather than sectarian contempt, it supports the Kurma Purana’s synthetic stance: authentic devotion (whether Shaiva or Vaishnava) rests on honoring the shared Vedic and rishi tradition.