Kurma Purana — Uttara Bhaga, Shloka 10
Prākṛta-pralaya, Pratisarga Doctrine, and the Ishvara-Samanvaya of Yoga and Devotion
दंष्ट्राकरालवदनः प्रदीप्तानललोचनः / त्रिशूली कृत्तिवसनो योगमैश्वरमास्थितः
daṃṣṭrākarālavadanaḥ pradīptānalalocanaḥ / triśūlī kṛttivasano yogamaiśvaramāsthitaḥ
ذو وجهٍ مهيبٍ وفكّين مرعبين وأنيابٍ بارزة، وعينين متّقدتين كالنار؛ يحمل الرمحَ الثلاثي ويلبس جلدًا، ويقيم راسخًا في الأيشڤرا-يوغا، يوغا السيادة الإلهية.
Narrator (Purāṇic voice, traditionally Sūta relating the account to the sages) describing Rudra/Īśvara
Primary Rasa: raudra
Secondary Rasa: vira
FAQs
By presenting Īśvara as simultaneously awe-inspiring (ugra) and yogically established (aiśvara-yoga), the verse points to the Supreme as transcending ordinary dualities—terrible in power yet perfectly inwardly poised—hinting at a reality beyond fear and form that governs all.
The verse emphasizes Aiśvara-yoga—absorption grounded in lordship (aiśvarya): mastery of senses, unwavering concentration, and identification with Īśvara as the inner ruler, aligning with Pāśupata-oriented devotion and disciplined meditation.
In the Kurma Purana’s synthesizing frame, describing Rudra/Īśvara in exalted yogic terms supports the non-sectarian teaching that the Supreme Lord is one—spoken of as Śiva or as Viṣṇu—revealing a shared Īśvara-tattva rather than rivalry.