Kurma Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 97
Adhyāya 25 — Liṅga-māhātmya (The Chapter on the Liṅga): Hari’s Śiva-Worship and the Fiery Pillar Theophany
देव उवाच प्रलयस्थितिसर्गाणां कर्ता त्वं धरणीपते / वत्स वत्स हरे विश्वं पालयैतच्चराचरम्
deva uvāca pralayasthitisargāṇāṃ kartā tvaṃ dharaṇīpate / vatsa vatsa hare viśvaṃ pālayaitaccarācaram
The Deva said: “O Lord of the earth, you are the agent of dissolution, preservation, and creation. Dear one—dear one, O Hari—protect this entire universe, both the moving and the unmoving.”
Deva (a divine speaker addressing Hari)
Primary Rasa: vira
Secondary Rasa: shanta
FAQs
By attributing creation, preservation, and dissolution to Hari, the verse points to a single sovereign principle behind all change—suggesting one supreme reality that governs the entire field of prakṛti and its transformations.
No specific technique is prescribed, but the verse supports a Yogic contemplation of Īśvara as the regulator of pralaya–sthiti–sarga; such meditation stabilizes buddhi in devotion (bhakti) and discipline (dharma) aligned with cosmic order.
Although Hari is named, the assignment of the triad of cosmic functions reflects the Purāṇic synthesis where the one Supreme is praised through multiple divine forms—supporting a non-sectarian, integrative Shaiva–Vaishnava reading.