Agnihotra, Seasonal Śrauta Duties, and the Authority of Śruti–Smṛti–Purāṇa
धर्मेणाभिगतो यैस्तु वेदः सपरिबृंहणः / ते शिष्टा ब्राह्मणाः प्रोक्ता नित्यमात्मगुणान्विताः
dharmeṇābhigato yaistu vedaḥ saparibṛṃhaṇaḥ / te śiṣṭā brāhmaṇāḥ proktā nityamātmaguṇānvitāḥ
ผู้ใดเข้าถึงพระเวทพร้อมคัมภีร์อธิบายประกอบ โดยอาศัยธรรมะเป็นทาง—ผู้นั้นแลถูกกล่าวว่าเป็นพราหมณ์ผู้ศิษฏะ ผู้ประกอบด้วยคุณแห่งอาตมันอยู่เนืองนิตย์.
Lord Kūrma (Viṣṇu) instructing in dharma and standards of śiṣṭa conduct
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: vira
It frames spiritual authority as rooted in ātmaguṇa—inner, Self-aligned virtues—implying that true Vedic mastery is validated by purified character and self-discipline, not mere recitation.
The verse foregrounds ethical groundwork—dharma and ātmaguṇa—as the prerequisite discipline that supports higher Yoga (including Pāśupata-oriented restraint, purity, and truthfulness) taught elsewhere in the Kurma Purana.
While not naming Śiva or Viṣṇu directly, it reflects the Purāṇa’s integrative approach: dharma-based Vedic study and inner virtues are presented as universal foundations for devotion and Yoga across both Vaiṣṇava and Śaiva paths.