Kurma Purana — Uttara Bhaga, Shloka 17
Brahmacārin-Dharma: Guru-Sevā, Daily Vedic Study, Gāyatrī-Japa, and Anadhyāya Regulations
कामं लोभं भयं निद्रां गीतवादित्रनर्तनम् / आतर्जनं परीवादं स्त्रीप्रेक्षालम्भनं तथा / परोपघातं पैशुन्यं प्रयत्नेन विवर्जयेत्
kāmaṃ lobhaṃ bhayaṃ nidrāṃ gītavāditranartanam / ātarjanaṃ parīvādaṃ strīprekṣālambhanaṃ tathā / paropaghātaṃ paiśunyaṃ prayatnena vivarjayet
Phải gắng sức từ bỏ: dục vọng, tham lam, sợ hãi, ngủ quá độ; đắm chìm trong ca hát, nhạc khí và vũ điệu; hăm dọa, phỉ báng; nhìn nữ nhân bằng tâm dục, vướng víu tán tỉnh; làm hại người khác và thói mách lẻo ác ý.
Lord Kūrma (Vishnu) instructing sages on dharma and self-restraint (Purva-bhaga ethical teaching context)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: bibhatsa
FAQs
It approaches the Self indirectly: by listing passions and harmful tendencies to be abandoned, it implies that realization of the Atman requires purification of mind and conduct so consciousness can rest in its own clarity rather than being driven by desire, fear, and violence.
The verse highlights foundational restraints (yama-like disciplines) essential for Yoga: reducing sense-indulgence, curbing agitation (fear, slander, intimidation), and avoiding harmful or distracting behaviors. Such ethical mastery is treated as a prerequisite for steadiness in meditation and for higher Shaiva-Vaishnava synthesis practices found elsewhere in the Kurma Purana.
While not naming Shiva or Vishnu explicitly, the teaching aligns with the Purana’s synthesis: both Shaiva (Pashupata-style restraint) and Vaishnava (bhakti-grounded purity) paths require the same moral disciplines—non-harm, truthfulness in speech, and mastery over desire—as a common foundation for liberation.