Kurma Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 16
Sūrya’s Celestial Car: Ādityas, Ṛṣis, Gandharvas, Apsarases, Nāgas, and the Two-Month Cosmic Cycle
ताण्डवैर्विविधैरेनं वसन्तादिषु वै क्रमात् / तोषयन्ति महादेवं भानुमात्मानमव्ययम्
tāṇḍavairvividhairenaṃ vasantādiṣu vai kramāt / toṣayanti mahādevaṃ bhānumātmānamavyayam
By performing many kinds of tāṇḍava dances, in due order through the seasons beginning with spring, they delight Mahādeva—who is the Sun (Bhānu) Himself, the imperishable Self (Ātman).
Narrator (Purana-vakta, in the Kurma Purana’s ongoing discourse)
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: vira
FAQs
It identifies Mahādeva not merely as a deity to be pleased, but as the imperishable Ātman itself—unchanging consciousness—also expressed as Bhānu, the universal radiance sustaining life.
The verse emphasizes disciplined, time-ordered devotion (kramāt) aligned with seasonal dharma; such regulated worship supports inner steadiness akin to yogic niyama and one-pointed bhakti, a preparatory ground for Pāśupata-oriented contemplation of Śiva as the Self.
By presenting Mahādeva as the imperishable Ātman and cosmic Bhānu, the text uses a non-sectarian, non-dual register typical of the Kurma Purana—where the Supreme is approached through Śiva-devotion while remaining compatible with Vaiṣṇava understandings of the one Self.