Kurma Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 33
Dakṣa’s Progeny, Nṛsiṃha–Varāha Avatāras, and Andhaka’s Defeat
Hari–Hara–Śakti Synthesis
मेरुपर्वतवर्ष्माणं घोररूपं भयानकम् / शङ्खचक्रगदापाणिं तं प्राह गरुडध्वजः
meruparvatavarṣmāṇaṃ ghorarūpaṃ bhayānakam / śaṅkhacakragadāpāṇiṃ taṃ prāha garuḍadhvajaḥ
Then Garuḍadhvaja (Lord Viṣṇu), bearing the conch, discus, and mace, addressed that being whose body was like Mount Meru—dreadful in form and terrifying to behold.
Garuḍadhvaja (Lord Vishnu/Narayana)
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka
FAQs
By presenting Viṣṇu as steady and authoritative even before a terrifying, Meru-like form, the verse implies the Supreme is unshaken by appearances; fear belongs to the realm of forms, while the divine speaker embodies mastery beyond it.
The verse models yogic fearlessness (abhaya) and one-pointed presence: the divine figure confronts the dreadful without agitation—an implied discipline of steadiness (dhairya) and inner composure foundational to Purāṇic yoga and devotion.
Though this line foregrounds Viṣṇu (Garuḍadhvaja), the Kurma Purana’s broader Shaiva–Vaishnava synthesis reads such divine confrontations as expressions of one supreme reality manifesting in multiple sacred forms, harmonizing sectarian appearances.