Kurma Purana — Uttara Bhaga, Shloka 6
Vānaprastha-Dharma: Forest Discipline, Vaikhānasa Austerities, and Śiva-Āśrama as the Liberative Refuge
जटाश्च बिभृयान्नित्यं नखरोमाणि नोत्सृजेत् / स्वाध्यायं सर्वदा कुर्यान्नियच्छेद् वाचमन्यतः
jaṭāśca bibhṛyānnityaṃ nakharomāṇi notsṛjet / svādhyāyaṃ sarvadā kuryānniyacched vācamanyataḥ
అతడు నిత్యం జటలను ధరించాలి; నఖాలు, దేహరోమాలు నిర్లక్ష్యం చేయకూడదు. ఎల్లప్పుడూ స్వాధ్యాయంలో నిమగ్నమై, వ్యర్థమైన లోకిక మాటల నుండి వాణిని నియంత్రించాలి.
Narratorial instruction within the Purva-bhaga’s dharma teaching (traditional Kurma Purana voice, framed as authoritative dharma-upadesha)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: vira
FAQs
By prescribing svādhyāya and restraint, the verse points to inner purification: disciplined study and controlled speech reduce distraction and help the seeker turn awareness inward toward the Atman rather than outward toward transient talk and habits.
It highlights core niyamas: svādhyāya (scriptural recitation and contemplative study) and vāg-niyama (restraint of speech). These support concentration (dhāraṇā) and steadiness of mind, aligning with the Kurma Purana’s broader yogic-ethical training associated with Pāśupata-leaning discipline.
Indirectly: it emphasizes practical dharma-yoga disciplines shared across Shaiva and Vaishnava traditions—purity, tapas, svādhyāya, and self-restraint—reflecting the Kurma Purana’s synthetic approach where devotion and yogic conduct converge beyond sectarian difference.