Shloka 9
Dharma of Non-Injury, Non-Stealing, Purity, and Avoidance of Hypocrisy (Ācāra and Saṅkarya-Nivṛtti)
तृणं काष्ठं फलं पुष्पं प्रकाशं वै हरेद् बुधः / धर्मार्थं केवलं विप्रा ह्यन्यथा पतितो भवेत्
tṛṇaṃ kāṣṭhaṃ phalaṃ puṣpaṃ prakāśaṃ vai hared budhaḥ / dharmārthaṃ kevalaṃ viprā hyanyathā patito bhavet
ஓ பிராமணர்களே! அறிவுடையவன் புல், மரக்கட்டை, பழம், மலர், சிறிதளவு ஒளி/எரிபொருள் ஆகியவற்றை தர்மத்திற்காக மட்டுமே எடுக்கலாம்; இல்லையெனில் அவன் வீழ்ச்சியடைவான்।
Sūta (narrator) conveying the dharma-teaching as preserved in the Kurma Purana’s discourse tradition
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka
FAQs
Indirectly: it teaches that dharma begins with inner restraint and purity of intention; such ethical self-governance is a prerequisite for clearer knowledge of the Self in later spiritual instruction.
It emphasizes foundational yogic discipline—restraint (yama-like conduct) and limiting acquisition to what supports dharma—aligning with the Kurma Purana’s broader stress on purification before higher contemplation.
Not directly; it reflects the shared dharmic ground underlying Shaiva–Vaishnava synthesis in the Kurma Purana: ethical restraint is upheld as a common prerequisite for devotion and liberation-oriented practice.