Kurma Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 58
Prākṛta Sṛṣṭi and Pralaya: From Pradhāna to Brahmāṇḍa; Trimūrti Samanvaya
पातियस्मात् प्रजाः सर्वाः प्रजापतिरिति स्मृतः / देवेषु च महादेवो माहदेव इति स्मृतः
pātiyasmāt prajāḥ sarvāḥ prajāpatiriti smṛtaḥ / deveṣu ca mahādevo māhadeva iti smṛtaḥ
Weil er alle Wesen beschützt, wird er als Prajāpati, Herr der Geschöpfe, erinnert. Und unter den Göttern wird der Große Gott als Mahādeva, der höchste Deva, gedacht.
Sūta (narrator) summarizing traditional name-derivations within the Purāṇic discourse
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: vira
FAQs
It characterizes the Supreme through function and sovereignty—protecting all beings (pālana) and being foremost among the devas—pointing to Īśvara as the sustaining Lord rather than a merely limited deity.
No specific technique is taught in this verse; it supports contemplation (upāsanā) by giving name-meanings that stabilize devotion and meditation on Īśvara as protector and supreme deity—an approach consistent with later Pāśupata-oriented instruction in the Kurma Purana.
By presenting authoritative epithets (Prajāpati, Māhādeva) as markers of supreme lordship, it fits the Kurma Purana’s synthesis where ultimate divinity is approached through shared qualities—sovereignty, protection, and supremacy—often harmonizing Śaiva and Vaiṣṇava theological language.