Shloka 69
Devadāru (Dāruvana) Forest: The Delusion of Ritual Pride, the Liṅga Crisis, and the Teaching of Jñāna–Pāśupata Yoga
योगी कृतयुगे देवस्त्रेतायां यज्ञ उच्यते / द्वापरे भगवान् कालो धर्मकेतुः कलौ युगे
yogī kṛtayuge devastretāyāṃ yajña ucyate / dvāpare bhagavān kālo dharmaketuḥ kalau yuge
In the Kṛta Yuga the Divine is spoken of as the Yogi; in the Tretā He is called Yajña, the Lord of sacrifice. In the Dvāpara He is the Blessed Time (Kāla), and in the Kali Yuga He is Dharma-ketu, the banner and sign of Dharma.
Lord Kūrma (Vishnu) instructing the sages/Indradyumna on yuga-dharma and divine appellations
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
FAQs
It presents the one Supreme Lord as manifesting through different governing principles in each yuga—Yoga (inner realization), Yajña (sacrificial order), Kāla (cosmic regulation), and Dharma-ketu (restoration/standard of righteousness)—implying a single Reality expressed through time-bound modes.
By naming the Lord as “Yogī” in Kṛta Yuga, the verse prioritizes contemplative realization and disciplined inner union (yoga) as the primary path in that age, aligning with the Purāṇic emphasis on yogic restraint, meditation, and direct knowledge as the highest yuga-appropriate sādhana.
Rather than separating sectarian functions, it frames the Supreme as the source of Yoga, Yajña, Kāla, and Dharma—categories shared across Śaiva and Vaiṣṇava theology—supporting the Kurma Purana’s synthetic vision where the same Lord operates as yogic lordship, sacrificial sovereignty, time, and dharma.