Kurma Purana — Uttara Bhaga, Shloka 89
Dharma of Non-Injury, Non-Stealing, Purity, and Avoidance of Hypocrisy (Ācāra and Saṅkarya-Nivṛtti)
नोपानद्वर्जितो वाथ जलादिरहितस्तथा / न रात्रौ नारिणा सार्धं न विना च कमण्डलुम् / नाग्निगोब्राह्मणादीनामन्तरेण व्रजेत् क्वचित्
nopānadvarjito vātha jalādirahitastathā / na rātrau nāriṇā sārdhaṃ na vinā ca kamaṇḍalum / nāgnigobrāhmaṇādīnāmantareṇa vrajet kvacit
Huwag lumakad nang walang sandalyas, ni walang dalang tubig at iba pang kailangan. Huwag maglakbay sa gabi, huwag sumama sa isang babae, at huwag umalis nang walang kamaṇḍalu (banga ng banal na tubig). Huwag kailanman magtungo saanman na may pagwawalang-galang sa sagradong apoy, sa mga baka, sa mga brāhmaṇa, at sa iba pang iginagalang na nilalang.
Sūta (narrating the Kurma Purana’s dharma-instructions as taught in the tradition)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka
FAQs
Indirectly: by prescribing restraint and purity in conduct, it supports the yogic premise that a disciplined life (niyama) steadies the mind, making it fit for realizing the Atman taught elsewhere in the Kurma Purana.
It emphasizes preparatory yogic discipline—niyama and yati-dharma—such as careful conduct, avoidance of risky or distracting situations (night travel, improper companionship), and maintaining ascetic requisites (kamaṇḍalu), which underpin Pāśupata-oriented practice in the Kurma tradition.
By centering dharma and reverence for sacred supports (agni, cows, brāhmaṇas), it reflects the Kurma Purana’s integrative ethos: ethical discipline is shared ground for both Śaiva and Vaiṣṇava paths, preparing the practitioner for higher God-realization taught in its unified theology.