Shloka 25
Vārāṇasī (Avimukta) Māhātmya and the Catalogue of Guhya-Tīrthas
कदाचिद् वसता तत्र व्यासेनामिततेजसा / भ्रममाणेन भिक्षा तु नैव लब्धा द्विजोत्तमाः
kadācid vasatā tatra vyāsenāmitatejasā / bhramamāṇena bhikṣā tu naiva labdhā dvijottamāḥ
ข้าแต่พราหมณ์ผู้ประเสริฐ ครั้งหนึ่งเมื่อฤาษีวยาสผู้มีตบะอันรุ่งโรจน์พำนักอยู่ที่นั่น แม้ท่านจะเที่ยวจาริกขอทาน แต่ก็หาอาหารไม่ได้เลย
Narrator (Purana-sūta style), addressing the assembled brāhmaṇas/sages (dvijottamāḥ)
Primary Rasa: karuna
Secondary Rasa: shanta
FAQs
Indirectly, it points to the Purāṇic teaching that outer conditions—such as gain or loss of alms—do not define the sage’s inner steadiness; the Self remains untouched while the practitioner endures worldly fluctuation with equanimity.
The verse highlights the ascetic discipline allied to yoga—living simply, wandering without entitlement, and accepting outcomes without agitation—supporting steadiness of mind (dharma-based restraint) that undergirds higher contemplation taught elsewhere in the Kurma Purana.
This specific verse does not explicitly mention Śiva or Viṣṇu; however, its dharma-ascetic ethic aligns with the Kurma Purana’s broader Shaiva–Vaishnava synthesis where disciplined conduct and renunciation are shared foundations for realizing the one supreme reality.