Kurma Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 27
Nine Creations (Sarga), Guṇa-Streams of Beings, and Brahmā’s Progeny in Cyclic Time
ओङ्कारं समनुस्मृत्य प्रणम्य च कृताञ्जलिः / ताम भगवान् ब्रह्मा सृजेमा विविधाः प्रजाः
oṅkāraṃ samanusmṛtya praṇamya ca kṛtāñjaliḥ / tāma bhagavān brahmā sṛjemā vividhāḥ prajāḥ
Nachdem er die heilige Silbe Oṁ in rechter Weise vergegenwärtigt und sich mit gefalteten Händen ehrfürchtig verneigt hatte, machte sich Bhagavān Brahmā daran, die vielen und vielfältigen Ordnungen der Lebewesen zu erschaffen.
Suta (narrator) describing the cosmogonic sequence
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
FAQs
By placing Oṁ at the head of creation, the verse implies that manifestation proceeds from contemplation of the supreme, all-pervading reality signified by Praṇava—pointing to Atman/Brahman as the ground of all beings.
It highlights praṇava-anusmṛti (recollection/meditation on Oṁ) joined with namaskāra and añjali—showing that inner contemplation and outward reverence together form a disciplined sādhana that precedes right action.
While not naming Shiva or Vishnu directly, it reflects the Purana’s synthesizing theology: creation begins through devotion to the supreme principle (Oṁ), a shared emblem of the one Ishvara revered across Shaiva and Vaishnava frames.