Īśvara-gītā: Bhakti as the Supreme Means; the Three Śaktis; Non-compelled Lordship
मया ततमिदं कृत्सनं प्रधानपुरुषात्मकम् / मय्येव संस्थितं विश्वं मया संप्रेर्यते जगत्
mayā tatamidaṃ kṛtsanaṃ pradhānapuruṣātmakam / mayyeva saṃsthitaṃ viśvaṃ mayā saṃpreryate jagat
Von Mir ist dieses ganze Universum durchdrungen, dessen Wesen Pradhāna (Urstoff) und Puruṣa (bewusster Geist) ist. In Mir allein ist der Kosmos gegründet, und durch Mich wird die Welt zum Wirken angetrieben.
Lord Kurma (Vishnu) teaching as Ishvara
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
It presents the Supreme as all-pervading and all-supporting: the cosmos rests in Him, and both matter (Pradhāna) and consciousness (Puruṣa) are encompassed by His being, indicating an Ishvara-centered non-dual frame where all existence depends on the Lord.
The verse supports īśvara-smṛti and īśvara-dhyāna: meditation on the Lord as the inner pervader and cosmic governor. In the Kurma Purana’s yoga-oriented teaching, such contemplation stabilizes the mind (citta-sthairya) and aligns one’s actions with the divine impetus (saṃpreraṇa).
By defining the Supreme as the one reality that pervades, supports, and activates the universe, the text advances a synthesizing theology: the same Ishvara can be praised through Shaiva or Vaishnava names, emphasizing unity of lordship rather than sectarian separation.