Kurma Purana — Uttara Bhaga, Shloka 44
Īśvara-Gītā (continued): Twofold Yoga, Aṣṭāṅga Discipline, Pāśupata Meditation, and the Unity of Nārāyaṇa–Maheśvara
ऊर्वोरुपरि विप्रेन्द्राः कृत्वा पादतले उभे / समासीतात्मनः पद्ममेतदासनमुत्तमम्
ūrvorupari viprendrāḥ kṛtvā pādatale ubhe / samāsītātmanaḥ padmametadāsanamuttamam
O best of brāhmaṇa sages, placing both soles upon the thighs and sitting steady with the self composed—this is padmāsana, the lotus posture, the supreme seat for dhyāna.
Lord Kūrma (Vishnu) instructing the sages (viprendrāḥ) within the Ishvara Gita teaching context
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
FAQs
By emphasizing “ātmanaḥ” (self-composed), the verse points to inward mastery: steadiness of posture supports steadiness of mind, enabling contemplation of the Atman as the inner witness beyond bodily movement.
The verse teaches padmāsana: placing the soles on the thighs and sitting firmly. In the Kurma Purana’s Ishvara Gita frame, this is a foundational yogic discipline used to stabilize prāṇa and attention for dhyāna (meditation) and īśvara-bhāvanā (God-centered contemplation).
While this specific verse focuses on āsana, it belongs to the Ishvara Gita stream where yogic practice is presented as a shared, non-sectarian means to realize the one Supreme Lord—supporting the Kurma Purana’s Shaiva–Vaishnava synthesis rather than a divisive contrast.