Kurma Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 45
Divine Abodes on the Mountains — A Sacred Survey of Jambūdvīpa
Kailāsa to Siddha Realms
अञ्जनस्य गिरेः शृङ्गे नारीणां पुरमुत्तमम् / वसन्ति तत्राप्सरसो रम्भाद्या रतिलालसाः
añjanasya gireḥ śṛṅge nārīṇāṃ puramuttamam / vasanti tatrāpsaraso rambhādyā ratilālasāḥ
On the peak of Mount Añjana stands the most excellent city of women. There dwell the Apsarās—led by Rambhā—ever eager for delight and amorous play.
Sūta (narrator) recounting Purāṇic sacred geography to the sages (Naimiṣāraṇya frame)
Primary Rasa: shringara
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
FAQs
This verse is descriptive cosmography rather than direct ātma-jñāna instruction; it situates a celestial locale, while the Purāṇa’s later doctrinal sections (notably the Upari-bhāga/Iśvara-gītā) provide explicit teaching on the Self beyond sense-pleasure.
No specific yoga practice is taught in this verse. Indirectly, by portraying beings “eager for pleasure,” it sets a contrast to the Kurma Purana’s later emphasis on restraint (saṃyama), devotion (bhakti), and disciplined practice associated with Pāśupata-oriented Śaiva-Vaiṣṇava synthesis.
It does not directly address Śiva–Viṣṇu unity; it functions as mythic geography. The Kurma Purana’s non-dual harmonization of Śiva and Viṣṇu is articulated more explicitly in later theological dialogues rather than in this scenic description.