Kurma Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 61
Devī-tattva, Śakti–Śaktimān doctrine, Kāla–Māyā cosmology, and Māheśvara Yoga instruction
हीमवानुवाच का त्वं देवि विशालाक्षि शशाङ्कावयवाङ्किते / न जाने त्वामहं वत्से यथावद् ब्रूहि पृच्छते
hīmavānuvāca kā tvaṃ devi viśālākṣi śaśāṅkāvayavāṅkite / na jāne tvāmahaṃ vatse yathāvad brūhi pṛcchate
Himavān sprach: „Wer bist du, o Göttin mit weiten Augen, mit dem Mond als Schmuck und Zeichen geziert? Ich kenne dich nicht, geliebtes Kind. Sprich es mir recht und wahr, denn ich frage dich.“
Himavan (the personified Himalaya mountain)
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
FAQs
It does not directly define Ātman; instead, it frames a classic purāṇic inquiry—true knowledge begins by asking the identity (tattva-paricaya) of the divine presence.
No specific practice is taught in this line; the yogic foundation implied is śraddhā and jijñāsā (reverent inquiry), which precede instruction in disciplines like Pāśupata-oriented restraint and contemplation elsewhere in the Kurma Purana.
The moon-mark imagery is strongly Śaiva in resonance (candra symbolism), while the Kurma Purana overall promotes a synthesizing lens; here, the text sets up recognition of divinity beyond sectarian labels through inquiry.