Shloka 40
Dharma of Non-Injury, Non-Stealing, Purity, and Avoidance of Hypocrisy (Ācāra and Saṅkarya-Nivṛtti)
तूष्णीमासीत निन्दायां न ब्रूयात् किञ्चिदुत्तरम् / कर्णौ पिधाय गन्तव्यं न चैतानवलोकयेत्
tūṣṇīmāsīta nindāyāṃ na brūyāt kiñciduttaram / karṇau pidhāya gantavyaṃ na caitānavalokayet
เมื่อประสบคำหมิ่นประมาท พึงนั่งสงบเงียบ ไม่กล่าวโต้ตอบแม้แต่น้อย ปิดหูแล้วจากไป และไม่ควรแม้แต่จะเหลียวมองคนเช่นนั้น
Lord Kūrma (Viṣṇu) instructing King Indradyumna (didactic discourse on dharma and self-restraint)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka
FAQs
By prescribing silence and non-engagement with abuse, the verse points to steadiness (sthiti) and inner witnessing—qualities aligned with the ātman’s unaffected nature, which remains untouched by praise and blame.
It emphasizes yogic restraint (yama-like discipline): mauna (measured silence), pratyāhāra (withdrawing the senses—symbolized by covering the ears), and vairāgya (detachment) as practical supports for meditation and composure.
Though not naming Śiva explicitly, the instruction reflects the shared dharma-yoga ethic honored across Śaiva and Vaiṣṇava traditions in the Kūrma Purāṇa: self-mastery and non-reactivity are presented as universal marks of devotion and spiritual maturity.