Kurma Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 16
Puṣkara-dvīpa, Lokāloka, and the Measure of the Brahmāṇḍa
Cosmic Egg
अण्डानामीदृशानां तु कोट्यो ज्ञेयाः सहस्त्रशः / सर्वगत्वात् प्रधानस्य कारणस्याव्ययात्मनः
aṇḍānāmīdṛśānāṃ tu koṭyo jñeyāḥ sahastraśaḥ / sarvagatvāt pradhānasya kāraṇasyāvyayātmanaḥ
اعلم أن من هذه «البرهماندات» أممًا لا تُحصى—ملايين، بل آلافًا فوق آلاف—لأن «برادهانا» العِلّة الأولى، ذات الطبيعة غير الفانية، سارية في كل مكان وشاملة لكل شيء.
Lord Kurma (Vishnu) instructing the sages/King Indradyumna in the cosmological teaching context
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
FAQs
By emphasizing an imperishable, all-pervading causal principle (Pradhāna as the primordial cause), the verse frames creation as grounded in an unchanging reality—supporting the Purāṇic move toward an ultimate, non-decaying foundation behind manifest multiplicity.
This verse is primarily cosmological rather than procedural; it supports yogic contemplation (dhyāna) by directing the mind from the many universes (aṇḍas) to the all-pervading, imperishable causal ground—an inquiry aligned with Sāṅkhya-based discernment used within Kurma Purana’s broader yogic teaching.
Indirectly: by grounding cosmic multiplicity in a single imperishable cause, it harmonizes sectarian views—allowing Shaiva and Vaishnava readings to converge on one ultimate, all-pervading principle that the Purana elsewhere identifies through both Shiva- and Vishnu-centered theology.