Devadāru (Dāruvana) Forest: The Delusion of Ritual Pride, the Liṅga Crisis, and the Teaching of Jñāna–Pāśupata Yoga
ब्रह्मोवाच हा कष्टं भवतामद्य जातं सर्वार्थनाशनम् / धिग्बलं धिक् तपश्चर्या मिथ्यैव भवतामिह
brahmovāca hā kaṣṭaṃ bhavatāmadya jātaṃ sarvārthanāśanam / dhigbalaṃ dhik tapaścaryā mithyaiva bhavatāmiha
Phạm Thiên nói: “Than ôi! Hôm nay tai ương nặng nề đã giáng xuống các ngươi, phá tan mọi mục đích. Hổ thẹn cho sức mạnh! Hổ thẹn cho khổ hạnh! Ở đây, đối với các ngươi, tất cả đã thành vô ích.”
Brahma
Primary Rasa: karuna
Secondary Rasa: raudra
By dismissing external power and even austerity when they become ego-driven or aimless, the verse implies that true spiritual success depends on inner alignment with the highest purpose—Self-knowledge and surrender to the Supreme—rather than mere outward achievement.
The verse cautions that tapas without right intention and inner purification becomes “mithyā” (fruitless). In the Kurma Purana’s Pashupata-leaning ethos, effective practice requires discipline joined with humility, devotion, and correct discernment—not asceticism used as a tool for domination or pride.
While not naming them directly, the teaching matches the Kurma Purana’s Shaiva–Vaishnava synthesis: spiritual attainment is not secured by brute force or display of penance, but by sincere orientation to the one Supreme Lord revered through both Shaiva and Vaishnava frames.