Kurma Purana — Uttara Bhaga, Shloka 6
Īśvara-Gītā (continued): Twofold Yoga, Aṣṭāṅga Discipline, Pāśupata Meditation, and the Unity of Nārāyaṇa–Maheśvara
शून्यं सर्वनिराभासं स्वरूपं यत्र चिन्त्यते / अभावयोगः स प्रोक्तो येनात्मानं प्रपश्यति
śūnyaṃ sarvanirābhāsaṃ svarūpaṃ yatra cintyate / abhāvayogaḥ sa prokto yenātmānaṃ prapaśyati
That discipline is called Abhāva-yoga, wherein one contemplates one’s own essential nature as “empty”—free from all appearances and objective projections—by which one directly beholds the Ātman, the Self.
Lord Kūrma (Vishnu) instructing King Indradyumna (Ishvara Gītā teaching context)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
FAQs
It presents the Self as beyond all appearances and mental projections; when one contemplates one’s true nature as free from objectifiable content, the Ātman is directly realized.
It highlights Abhāva-yoga—meditation that withdraws attention from all ‘seen’ forms (ābhāsa) and rests in non-objectifying awareness, culminating in clear vision (prapaśyati) of the Self.
By emphasizing direct Self-realization through yoga rather than sectarian identity, it reflects the Kurma Purana’s integrative stance where yogic realization underpins both Shaiva (Pāśupata-tinged) and Vaishnava devotion within the Ishvara Gītā framework.