Kurma Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 20
Brahmā’s Lotus-Birth, the Sealing of the Cosmic Womb, and the Epiphany of Parameśvara
Hari–Hara Samanvaya
अहं धाता विधाता च स्वयंभूः प्रपितामहः / मय्येव संस्थितं विश्वं ब्रह्माहं विश्वतोमुखः
ahaṃ dhātā vidhātā ca svayaṃbhūḥ prapitāmahaḥ / mayyeva saṃsthitaṃ viśvaṃ brahmāhaṃ viśvatomukhaḥ
«أنا دْهاتا وفِدْهاتا—الحافظ والمُدبِّر؛ أنا سْفايَمبهو، المولود بذاته؛ وأنا الجدّ الأعظم. فيَّ وحدي يقوم هذا الكون كلّه؛ أنا برهما، ذو الوجوه المتجهة إلى كل الجهات (فيشفاتوموخا)»
Brahmā (cosmic creator figure, speaking in first person)
Primary Rasa: vira
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
FAQs
The verse presents an “I”-identity that supports and orders the cosmos, implying a supreme self-principle as the ground in which the universe abides; in Kurma Purana theology this creator-voice ultimately points to Ishvara as the inner support of all beings.
This verse itself is doctrinal rather than procedural, but it supports Ishvara-dhyana: meditation on the all-pervading Lord/creator as the substratum of the universe—an orientation that later aligns with the Kurma Purana’s Pashupata-tinged devotion and contemplation of Ishvara.
By emphasizing a single cosmic ground (“in me alone the universe is established”), it fits the Kurma Purana’s broader non-sectarian synthesis where the supreme Ishvara can be praised through multiple divine forms—supporting a Shiva–Vishnu unity framework rather than strict opposition.