Kurma Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 18
Kali-yuga Doṣas, the Supremacy of Rudra as Refuge, and the Closure of the Manvantara Teaching
उच्चासनस्थाः शूद्रास्तु द्विजमध्ये परन्तप / ज्ञात्वा न हिंसते राजा कलौ कालबलेन तु
uccāsanasthāḥ śūdrāstu dvijamadhye parantapa / jñātvā na hiṃsate rājā kalau kālabalena tu
எதிரிகளைத் தணிக்கும் வீரனே! கலியுகத்தில் சூத்ரர்களும் த்விஜர்களின் நடுவே உயர்ந்த ஆசனங்களில் அமர்வர்; ஆனால் இது காலத்தின் வலிமையால் நிகழ்வது என அறிந்து அரசன் வன்முறையை நாடமாட்டான்.
Lord Kurma (Vishnu) instructing King Indradyumna (context: teachings on dharma amid Kali-yuga conditions)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: karuna
FAQs
Indirectly, it points to a core Purāṇic-Yogic insight: worldly upheavals are governed by Kāla (Time), so wise governance rests on discernment rather than ego-driven reaction—an attitude aligned with self-mastery associated with Atman-centered understanding.
The verse emphasizes restraint (ahiṃsā/akrodha) and viveka (discriminative understanding) in action—practical yogic disciplines that stabilize the mind and support dharmic leadership, resonant with Kurma Purana’s broader yoga-śāstra orientation.
While not naming Śiva explicitly, the ethic of non-violence, inner restraint, and submission to Kāla reflects the shared Shaiva-Vaishnava dharma-yoga framework in the Kurma Purana, where spiritual governance aligns with universal order rather than sectarian rivalry.