Shloka 51
Cosmic Manifestation, Mahāmāyā’s Mandate, Varṇāśrama-Dharma, and the Unity of the Trimūrti
परित्यजेदर्थकामौ यौ स्यातां धर्मवर्जितौ / सर्वलोकविरुद्धं च धर्ममप्याचरेन्न तु
parityajedarthakāmau yau syātāṃ dharmavarjitau / sarvalokaviruddhaṃ ca dharmamapyācarenna tu
धर्मवर्जितौ यावर्थकामौ तौ परित्यजेत्; सर्वलोकविरुद्धं तु धर्ममित्यपि नाचरेत्।
Lord Kurma (Vishnu) instructing on dharma
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: raudra
FAQs
By subordinating artha and kāma to dharma, the verse implies an inner hierarchy where the Self is realized through purity and right order; desire-driven aims that violate dharma obscure discernment (viveka) needed for Atman-knowledge.
The verse highlights yama-like ethical restraints: renouncing dharma-opposed gain and pleasure, and rejecting harmful ‘pseudo-dharma.’ In the Kurma Purana’s wider yogic frame (including Pashupata-oriented discipline), such moral purification is foundational for steadiness of mind and higher practice.
It reflects the Purana’s integrative stance: the Supreme’s instruction (as Lord Kurma/Vishnu) upholds dharma as universal, aligning with Shaiva-Pashupata ethics that reject adharmic desire and socially destructive ritualism—showing a shared dharmic ground across sectarian forms.