Kurma Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 70
Brahmā’s Lotus-Birth, the Sealing of the Cosmic Womb, and the Epiphany of Parameśvara
Hari–Hara Samanvaya
स देवदेववचनं निशम्य कमलोद्भवः / निरीक्ष्य विष्णुं पुरुषं प्रणम्याह वृषध्वजम्
sa devadevavacanaṃ niśamya kamalodbhavaḥ / nirīkṣya viṣṇuṃ puruṣaṃ praṇamyāha vṛṣadhvajam
فلما سمع كمالودبهافا (براهما) كلامَ إلهِ الآلهة، نظر إلى فيشنو، البوروشا الأسمى؛ ثم انحنى ساجدًا بخشوع وخاطب فريشادفاجا (شيفا، صاحب راية الثور).
Narrator (Purāṇic narration describing Brahmā’s action and ensuing address to Śiva)
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
FAQs
By calling Viṣṇu “Puruṣa” (the Supreme Person) while simultaneously centering reverence toward Śiva as Devadeva/Vṛṣadhvaja, the verse points to a single supreme reality approached through complementary divine forms—an implicit non-sectarian, integrative theology rather than a purely exclusive identity claim.
The verse emphasizes praṇāma (reverential bowing) and attentive listening to divine instruction—foundational disciplines that support Pāśupata-oriented devotion and yogic receptivity (śravaṇa, namas, and guru/deva-vākya-anuśāsana) that later mature into contemplative practice.
It portrays a deliberate harmony: Brahmā acknowledges Viṣṇu as Puruṣa while addressing Śiva as Vṛṣadhvaja/Devadeva, suggesting coordinated divine authority and a Shaiva–Vaishnava synthesis characteristic of the Kurma Purana.