Kurma Purana — Uttara Bhaga, Shloka 30
Yati-Āśrama: Bhikṣā-vidhi, Īśvara-dhyāna, and Prāyaścitta
Mahādeva as Non-dual Brahman
परमापद्गतेनापि न कार्यं स्तेयमन्यतः / स्तेयादभ्यधिकः कश्चिन्नास्त्यधर्म इति स्मृतिः / हिंसा चैषापरा दिष्टा या चात्मज्ञाननाशिका
paramāpadgatenāpi na kāryaṃ steyamanyataḥ / steyādabhyadhikaḥ kaścinnāstyadharma iti smṛtiḥ / hiṃsā caiṣāparā diṣṭā yā cātmajñānanāśikā
即便陷入极端困厄，也绝不可盗取他人之物。圣传（Smṛti）宣示：无有不义（adharma）重于盗窃。此亦被判为更高、更微细的暴害（hiṃsā），因为它摧毁对真我（Ātman）的觉知。
Lord Kurma (Vishnu) instructing on Dharma
Primary Rasa: raudra
Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka
FAQs
It implies that Atman-knowledge is a fragile inner illumination sustained by dharmic conduct; theft is called a subtler violence because it corrupts the mind and thereby destroys the capacity for Self-knowledge.
The verse emphasizes yama-like restraints—non-stealing and non-injury—as foundational disciplines; such ethical purification is presented as necessary for stable contemplation that culminates in ātmajñāna.
By framing dharma and ātmajñāna as the shared spiritual ground of Purāṇic teaching, it aligns with the Kurma Purana’s synthesis where devotion and discipline lead to the same Self-realization upheld across Shaiva and Vaishnava streams.