Kurma Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 68
Cosmic Manifestation, Mahāmāyā’s Mandate, Varṇāśrama-Dharma, and the Unity of the Trimūrti
अष्टाशीतिसहस्त्राणामृषीणामूर्ध्वरेतसाम् / स्मृतं तेषां तु यत्स्थानं तदेव गुरुवासिनाम्
aṣṭāśītisahastrāṇāmṛṣīṇāmūrdhvaretasām / smṛtaṃ teṣāṃ tu yatsthānaṃ tadeva guruvāsinām
إنّ المقامَ المرويَّ لأولئك الثمانيةِ والثمانينَ ألفًا من الرِّشِيّين، أهلِ العِفّة الذين تصعدُ طاقتُهم الحيويّة إلى العُلوّ، هو بعينه المقامُ نفسه لمن يقيمون عند الغورو ويخدمونه.
Sūta (narrator) recounting the Purāṇic tradition to the sages (Naimiṣāraṇya framing)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
FAQs
Indirectly, it points to inner ascent: the “upward-moving vital energy” of the ūrdhvaretas sage symbolizes mastery over desire and inwardness—conditions traditionally held to steady the mind for realizing the ātman.
It emphasizes brahmacarya (continence), sense-restraint, and disciplined residence with the guru (guruvāsa). In Yoga-shāstra terms, these support yama-niyama, stabilize prāṇa, and prepare the practitioner for dhyāna.
The verse is non-sectarian in tone: it locates spiritual authority in disciplined practice and guru-service rather than in sect identity, aligning with the Kurma Purana’s broader Shaiva–Vaishnava synthesis.