Kurma Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 41
Madhu–Kaiṭabha, Nārāyaṇa’s Yoga-Nidrā, Rudra’s Manifestation, and the Aṣṭamūrti–Trimūrti Teaching
ततः स भगवान् ब्रह्मा वीक्ष्य देवं त्रिलोचनम् / सहैव मानसैः पुत्रैः प्रीतिविस्फारिलोचनः
tataḥ sa bhagavān brahmā vīkṣya devaṃ trilocanam / sahaiva mānasaiḥ putraiḥ prītivisphārilocanaḥ
Dann schaute der erhabene Herr Brahmā, als er den dreiaugigen Gott (Śiva) erblickte, zusammen mit seinen geistgeborenen Söhnen, mit vor Freude und Hingabe weit geöffneten Augen auf Ihn.
Narrator (Purāṇic narration, traditionally Sūta/Vyāsa framework)
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
FAQs
By portraying Brahmā—creator and cosmic intellect—overwhelmed in devotional joy before Śiva, the verse implies a higher, worship-worthy reality beyond mere creation: the supreme divine presence that even Brahmā reveres.
The verse centers on darśana (sacred beholding) and bhāva (inner devotional mood): the mind and senses become absorbed in the deity, a foundational attitude that later supports disciplined Yoga (including Pāśupata-oriented devotion and contemplation) in the Kurma Purana’s broader teaching.
Though Viṣṇu is not named here, the Kurma Purana’s overall Shaiva–Vaishnava synthesis is reflected in this scene: Brahmā’s reverence to Śiva underscores a shared supreme divinity honored across sectarian forms, aligning with the Purana’s non-hostile, integrative theology.