Kurma Purana — Uttara Bhaga, Shloka 156
Devadāru (Dāruvana) Forest: The Delusion of Ritual Pride, the Liṅga Crisis, and the Teaching of Jñāna–Pāśupata Yoga
असमाकमेषा परमेशपत्नी गतिस्तथात्मा गगनाभिधाना / पश्यन्त्यथात्मानमिदं च कृत्स्नं तस्यामथैते मुनयश्च विप्राः
asamākameṣā parameśapatnī gatistathātmā gaganābhidhānā / paśyantyathātmānamidaṃ ca kṛtsnaṃ tasyāmathaite munayaśca viprāḥ
Sie ist unsere höchste Zuflucht—die Gemahlin des Parameśvara—genannt „Gaganā“, dem allumfassenden Himmel gleich, und wahrlich das Selbst selbst. In Ihr schauen diese Weisen und Brahmanen das Selbst und zugleich dieses ganze Universum in seiner Gesamtheit.
Narratorial voice within the Ishvara-Gita style teaching (Upari-bhaga discourse attributed to Lord Kurma’s revelatory instruction)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
FAQs
It identifies the divine feminine (Parameśvarī) not merely as a deity but as the very Ātman, within whom the whole cosmos is seen—implying a non-dual ground where Self and universe are comprehended together.
The verse points to contemplative realization (ātma-darśana): a yogic vision where sages perceive the Self and the totality of existence ‘in’ the all-pervading divine—aligned with Pāśupata-oriented inward absorption and expansive awareness.
By centering Parameśvara and His consort as the supreme refuge and as the Ātman, it supports the Kurma Purana’s synthetic theology: the highest reality is one, expressed through Śaiva-Shākta language while taught in a Purāṇic (often Vaiṣṇava) revelatory frame.