Kurma Purana — Uttara Bhaga, Shloka 6
Agnihotra, Seasonal Śrauta Duties, and the Authority of Śruti–Smṛti–Purāṇa
एष धर्मः परो नित्यमपधर्मो ऽन्य उच्यते / त्रयाणामिह वर्णानां गृहस्थाश्रमवासिनाम्
eṣa dharmaḥ paro nityamapadharmo 'nya ucyate / trayāṇāmiha varṇānāṃ gṛhasthāśramavāsinām
இதுவே பரம தர்மம்; எப்போதும் கடைப்பிடிக்க வேண்டியது. இதற்கு எதிரானது அதர்மம் எனப்படுகிறது. இவ்வுபதேசம் இங்கு இல்லற ஆசிரமத்தில் வாழும் மூன்று வர்ணங்களுக்காகும்.
Lord Kūrma (Vishnu) instructing sages on Varnashrama-dharma
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: vira
FAQs
It does not directly define Ātman; it frames “supreme” (para) in terms of unwavering dharma—right conduct as the foundation for spiritual life that later supports higher realization.
No specific yoga technique is taught in this verse; it establishes ethical discipline for gṛhasthas as a prerequisite “yama-like” basis for later yogic and devotional practices described elsewhere in the Kurma Purana.
The verse is primarily dharma-oriented and non-sectarian; by grounding practice in universal dharma for householders, it aligns with the Kurma Purana’s broader Shaiva–Vaishnava synthesis where right conduct supports devotion to Īśvara in either form.