Shloka 52
Cosmic Manifestation, Mahāmāyā’s Mandate, Varṇāśrama-Dharma, and the Unity of the Trimūrti
धर्मात् संजायते ह्यर्थो धर्मात् कामो ऽभिजायते / धर्म एवापवर्गाय तस्माद् धर्मं समाश्रयेत्
dharmāt saṃjāyate hyartho dharmāt kāmo 'bhijāyate / dharma evāpavargāya tasmād dharmaṃ samāśrayet
อรรถะย่อมเกิดจากธรรมะ กามะย่อมเกิดจากธรรมะ; ธรรมะเท่านั้นนำสู่อปวรรค์ (โมกษะ) เพราะฉะนั้นพึงอาศัยธรรมะเป็นที่พึ่ง।
Lord Kurma (Vishnu) instructing the sages/Indradyumna on dharma
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
FAQs
By declaring that dharma culminates in apavarga (liberation), the verse implies that the highest aim is release into the Self’s freedom beyond worldly aims; artha and kāma are subordinate and purified when rooted in dharma.
This verse does not prescribe a specific technique; it frames dharma as the indispensable foundation for higher sādhana—ethical discipline, self-restraint, and duty performed in right order—upon which Yogic realization and liberation become possible.
It teaches a shared Purāṇic synthesis: whether approached through Vaiṣṇava devotion or Śaiva/Pāśupata discipline, dharma is the common ground that matures into mokṣa; sectarian paths are harmonized by the primacy of dharma leading to liberation.