Kurma Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 75
Cosmic Manifestation, Mahāmāyā’s Mandate, Varṇāśrama-Dharma, and the Unity of the Trimūrti
यो ऽधीत्यविधिवद्वेदान् गृहस्थाश्रममाव्रजेत् / उपकुर्वाणको ज्ञेयो नैष्ठिको मरणान्तिकः
yo 'dhītyavidhivadvedān gṛhasthāśramamāvrajet / upakurvāṇako jñeyo naiṣṭhiko maraṇāntikaḥ
凡依正法仪轨研习吠陀而后进入居士（家住）住期者，当知名为“优帕库尔瓦那”（upakurvāṇa），即学业既毕而返归世间职责之学子；而“奈什提迦”（naiṣṭhika）则为终身守梵行之学生，至死不退。
Lord Kurma (as the Purana’s authoritative narrator on dharma and āśrama-duties)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: vira
FAQs
This verse does not directly define Ātman; it sets a dharmic framework (āśrama-dharma) that supports purification and steadiness—preconditions for later Self-knowledge emphasized elsewhere in the Kurma Purana.
No specific yogic technique is taught here; the verse highlights disciplined Vedic study and life-stage commitment—either transitioning to gṛhastha duties (upakurvāṇa) or sustaining lifelong brahmacarya (naiṣṭhika)—as foundational disciplines that later mature into yoga and contemplation.
It does not mention Shiva–Vishnu explicitly; its contribution to the Kurma Purana’s synthesis is indirect—affirming shared dharmic structures (Veda, āśrama, brahmacarya) that underpin both Shaiva (including Pāśupata) and Vaishnava paths.