Kurma Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 2
Invocation, Purāṇa Lakṣaṇas, Kurma at the Samudra-manthana, and Indradyumna’s Liberation Teaching
Iśvara-Gītā Prelude
सत्रान्ते सूतमनघं नैमिषीया महर्षयः / पुराणसंहितां पुण्यां पप्रच्छू रोमहर्षणम्
satrānte sūtamanaghaṃ naimiṣīyā maharṣayaḥ / purāṇasaṃhitāṃ puṇyāṃ papracchū romaharṣaṇam
At the conclusion of the sacrificial session, the Naimiṣa seers questioned the blameless Sūta, Romaharṣaṇa, about the sacred and meritorious compendium of Purāṇic lore.
Narrator (Sūta tradition frame): the Naimiṣa Mahārṣis addressing Sūta Romaharṣaṇa
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
FAQs
This verse does not define Ātman directly; it establishes the authoritative setting—seers seeking a “puṇyā purāṇasaṃhitā”—through which later teachings on Self, Īśvara, and liberation are transmitted.
No specific yoga practice is taught in this line; it introduces the inquiry tradition (śravaṇa) that precedes instruction—later chapters (notably the Upari-bhāga’s Īśvara-gītā material) detail disciplines such as devotion, meditation, and Pāśupata-oriented observances.
The verse is a narrative preface and does not name Śiva or Viṣṇu; it frames a Purāṇic teaching context that, in the Kurma Purāṇa as a whole, supports a synthesis where sectarian teachings are presented within a shared dharma and liberation-oriented discourse.