Kurma Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 33
Invocation, Purāṇa Lakṣaṇas, Kurma at the Samudra-manthana, and Indradyumna’s Liberation Teaching
Iśvara-Gītā Prelude
श्रुत्वा तेषां तदा वाक्यं विष्णुर्दानवमर्दनः / प्रोवाच देवीं संप्रेक्ष्य नारदादीनकल्मषान्
śrutvā teṣāṃ tadā vākyaṃ viṣṇurdānavamardanaḥ / provāca devīṃ saṃprekṣya nāradādīnakalmaṣān
Als Viṣṇu, der Zermalmer der Dānava, ihre Worte vernommen hatte, blickte er zur Göttin hin und, seinen Blick auf Nārada und die makellosen Weisen richtend, sprach er.
Vishnu (Lord Hari), addressing the Goddess in the presence of Narada and other sages
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
FAQs
Indirectly: it presents Vishnu as the responsive, conscious Lord who hears, discerns, and speaks—hinting at the Supreme as awareness that illumines and guides sages, a theme later expanded in the Kurma Purana’s higher teachings.
No specific practice is taught in this verse; it sets the contemplative setting—pure-minded sages (akalmaṣa) and divine instruction—an essential prerequisite emphasized in Yoga-shastra: purity, right company, and receptivity to śāstra and guru-like guidance.
By framing Vishnu’s discourse in the presence of the Goddess and stainless sages, it supports the Purana’s synthetic style: the Supreme guides through multiple divine forms and teachings, preparing the ground for the later non-sectarian, integrative theology (often read alongside Shaiva-oriented Pashupata-Yoga themes).