Kurma Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 85
Cosmic Manifestation, Mahāmāyā’s Mandate, Varṇāśrama-Dharma, and the Unity of the Trimūrti
तस्मादेतद् विजानीध्वमाश्रमाणां चतुष्टयम् / सर्वेषु वेदशास्त्रेषु पञ्चमो नोपपद्यते
tasmādetad vijānīdhvamāśramāṇāṃ catuṣṭayam / sarveṣu vedaśāstreṣu pañcamo nopapadyate
ஆகையால் இதை நன்கு அறிந்துகொள்ளுங்கள்—ஆசிரமங்கள் நான்கே; எல்லா வேத-சாஸ்திரங்களிலும் ஐந்தாம் ஆசிரமம் ஏற்கப்படாது।
Lord Kurma (Vishnu), instructing sages in the Purva-bhaga dharma discourse
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: vira
FAQs
Indirectly: it frames liberation-oriented life as structured by the four āśramas, implying that disciplined dharma (especially vānaprastha and sannyāsa) is the recognized pathway that supports Self-knowledge rather than inventing new social-spiritual categories.
The verse itself emphasizes eligibility and structure: Yoga and meditation are to be pursued within the orthodox four-āśrama framework upheld by Veda and śāstra—typically culminating in renunciation (sannyāsa) where sustained contemplation and restraint become primary.
By appealing to shared Vedic-śāstric authority, it reflects the Kurma Purana’s synthesis: both Shaiva (Pāśupata) and Vaishnava orientations are presented as operating within the same orthodox dharma framework rather than as competing, separate systems.