Kurma Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 61
Adhyāya 25 — Liṅga-māhātmya (The Chapter on the Liṅga): Hari’s Śiva-Worship and the Fiery Pillar Theophany
एष देवो महादेवः सदा संसारभीरुभिः / ध्येयः पूज्यश्च वन्द्यश्च ज्ञेयो लिङ्गे महेश्वरः
eṣa devo mahādevaḥ sadā saṃsārabhīrubhiḥ / dhyeyaḥ pūjyaśca vandyaśca jñeyo liṅge maheśvaraḥ
This very Deva is Mahādeva; those who fear the bondage of saṃsāra should ever meditate upon Him, worship Him, and bow in reverence—and Maheśvara is to be known and realized in the Liṅga.
Lord Kurma (Vishnu) instructing sages/seekers in a Shaiva-oriented teaching within the Kurma Purana
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka
FAQs
It presents Maheśvara as the realizable supreme principle: not merely an external deity, but one to be truly “known” (jñeyaḥ) through contemplative recognition—here symbolically centered in the Liṅga as a support for inner realization beyond saṃsāra.
The verse foregrounds dhyāna (steady meditation) alongside pūjā and vandana, a classic Purāṇic-integrated sādhana where devotion and contemplative absorption work together—aligned with Shaiva/Pāśupata-style practice using the Liṅga as an ālambana (meditative support).
With Lord Kūrma (a Viṣṇu form) teaching unwavering contemplation of Mahādeva, the text models Kurma Purana’s Shaiva–Vaishnava synthesis: the Supreme is honored through Śiva-upāsanā without sectarian opposition, emphasizing shared liberating intent.