Kurma Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 37
Yuga-Dharma: The Four Ages, Decline of Dharma, and the Rise of Social Order
शीतवर्षातपैस्तीव्रै स्ततस्ता दुः खिता भृशम् / द्वन्द्वैः संपीड्यमानास्तु चक्रुरावरणानि च
śītavarṣātapaistīvrai statastā duḥ khitā bhṛśam / dvandvaiḥ saṃpīḍyamānāstu cakrurāvaraṇāni ca
Atormentadas intensamente por frio, chuva e calor abrasador, ficaram profundamente aflitas; e, comprimidas por todos os lados por esses pares de opostos, também confeccionaram coberturas para proteção.
Narrative voice (Purāṇic narrator, traditionally Sūta reporting the account of sages)
Primary Rasa: karuna
Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka
FAQs
By highlighting dvandva—heat and cold, rain and dryness—the verse implicitly contrasts the changing conditions of embodied life with the steadiness sought in realizing the Atman, which is not altered by external opposites.
The verse points to the practical problem Yoga addresses: oppression by dvandvas. In the Kurma Purana’s broader yogic ethos (including Pāśupata-oriented discipline), endurance and equanimity toward opposites are foundational supports for steadiness of mind (samatā) and sustained practice.
This specific verse is descriptive rather than explicitly theological; its teaching on transcending dvandvas aligns with the Purana’s Shaiva–Vaishnava synthesis, where liberation is framed through shared yogic virtues (detachment, endurance, inner steadiness) honored across both Shiva- and Vishnu-centered paths.