Kurma Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 34
Sūrya-vaṃśa Genealogy and the Supremacy of Tapas: Gāyatrī-Japa, Rudra-Darśana, and Śatarudrīya Upadeśa
वसिष्ठ उवाच अधीत्य वेदान् विधिवत् पुत्रानुत्पाद्य धर्मतः / इष्ट्वा यज्ञेश्वरं यज्ञैर् गच्छेद वनमथात्मवान्
vasiṣṭha uvāca adhītya vedān vidhivat putrānutpādya dharmataḥ / iṣṭvā yajñeśvaraṃ yajñair gaccheda vanamathātmavān
Sinabi ni Vasiṣṭha: Matapos pag-aralan nang wasto ang mga Veda, magkaanak na lalaki ayon sa dharma, at sambahin si Yajñeśvara, Panginoon ng mga handog, sa pamamagitan ng mga ritwal na yajña, ang taong may pagpipigil-sa-sarili ay dapat pumasok sa gubat bilang vānaprastha.
Vasiṣṭha
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: vira
FAQs
It implies that true spiritual progress requires ātmavat—inner mastery—so that after fulfilling Vedic and social duties, one turns inward toward Self-realization through disciplined life in the forest stage.
The verse foregrounds a dharmic progression: Vedic study and yajña purify the mind, and vanaprastha supports tapas, restraint, and contemplation—foundational disciplines that mature into the yoga-oriented teachings later emphasized in the Kurma Purana.
By naming the deity as Yajñeśvara (Īśvara presiding over yajña), it uses a unifying theological title compatible with both Śaiva and Vaiṣṇava readings, reflecting the Kurma Purana’s synthesis where the one Lord is approached through Vedic rite and yogic innerization.