Kurma Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 50
Yuga-Dharma: The Four Ages, Decline of Dharma, and the Rise of Social Order
एको वेदश्चतुष्पादस्त्रेतास्विह विधीयते / वेदव्यासैश्चतुर्धा तु व्यस्यते द्वापरादिषु
eko vedaścatuṣpādastretāsviha vidhīyate / vedavyāsaiścaturdhā tu vyasyate dvāparādiṣu
Trong thế gian này, vào thời Tretā, Veda được thiết lập là một, nhưng có bốn “chân” (bốn phần); còn từ thời Dvāpara trở đi, Veda được các bậc biên tập Veda—các Vyāsa—sắp đặt thành bốn bộ.
Lord Kurma (Vishnu) instructing in Purāṇic-yuga dharma context
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
FAQs
Indirectly: it emphasizes the continuity of śruti (Vedic revelation) across yugas—suggesting that while forms of teaching and transmission change, the underlying sacred truth that guides realization of the Self remains one.
No specific technique is taught in this verse; it frames the scriptural basis for practice by explaining how Vedic instruction is preserved and reorganized for later ages, which supports disciplined paths such as mantra, yajña, and yoga grounded in Vedic authority.
It does not name Śiva explicitly; its Kurma Purana setting supports a synthesis where Vedic authority underlies both Śaiva (e.g., Pāśupata) and Vaiṣṇava traditions, presenting them as rooted in a single revelation adapted across the yugas.