Kurma Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 12
Nine Creations (Sarga), Guṇa-Streams of Beings, and Brahmā’s Progeny in Cyclic Time
ते ऽपरिग्राहिणः सर्वे संविभागरताः पुनः / खादनाश्चाप्यशीलाश्च भूताद्याः परिकीर्तिताः / इत्येते पञ्च कथिताः सर्गा वै द्विजपुङ्गवाः
te 'parigrāhiṇaḥ sarve saṃvibhāgaratāḥ punaḥ / khādanāścāpyaśīlāśca bhūtādyāḥ parikīrtitāḥ / ityete pañca kathitāḥ sargā vai dvijapuṅgavāḥ
All of these were non-possessive, delighting again in mutual sharing; yet they were also given to devouring and were without disciplined conduct—thus are those beginning with the bhūtas described. Therefore, O best of the twice-born, these five creations (sargas) have been declared.
Sūta (narrator) recounting the Purāṇic cosmology to the sages (Naimiṣāraṇya frame)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: bibhatsa
FAQs
It does not directly define Ātman; instead it describes created beings and their tendencies (non-possessiveness, sharing, yet lack of discipline), implying that moral qualities belong to prakṛtic creation, not to the unconditioned Self.
No specific yogic technique is taught in this verse; it sets a cosmological-ethical backdrop where discipline (śīla) is contrasted with undisciplined impulses—an implicit prerequisite for later yogic instruction found elsewhere in the Kurma Purana.
This verse is cosmological and does not mention Śiva or Viṣṇu explicitly; its role is to catalogue creation (sarga), a shared Purāṇic framework later harmonized with Śaiva–Vaiṣṇava synthesis in other sections.