Kurma Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 31
Kali-yuga Doṣas, the Supremacy of Rudra as Refuge, and the Closure of the Manvantara Teaching
मोहयन्ति जनान् सर्वान् दर्शयित्वा फलानि च / तमसाविष्टमनसो वैडालवृत्तिकाधमाः
mohayanti janān sarvān darśayitvā phalāni ca / tamasāviṣṭamanaso vaiḍālavṛttikādhamāḥ
பலன்களை காட்டி அவர்கள் எல்லா மக்களையும் மயக்குகின்றனர்; இருளால் பிடிக்கப்பட்ட மனத்துடன் அந்தத் தாழ்ந்தோர் பூனைபோன்ற வஞ்சக-திருட்டு வழியில் வாழ்கின்றனர்।
Lord Kurma (Vishnu) instructing the sages (context of dharma and discernment)
Primary Rasa: bibhatsa
Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka
FAQs
Indirectly: it warns that flashy “fruits” and displays can mislead; realization of Self is not proven by show but by inner purity and freedom from tamas (ignorance).
The verse emphasizes yogic discernment (viveka) and sattva-building discipline—avoiding tamasic influences and suspicious “quick results,” aligning practice with dharma rather than performance.
By stressing a shared dharmic-yogic standard: whether framed in Shaiva Pāśupata or Vaiṣṇava devotion, authentic spiritual life rejects tamasic deception and values inner transformation.