Kurma Purana — Uttara Bhaga, Shloka 148
Prākṛta-pralaya, Pratisarga Doctrine, and the Ishvara-Samanvaya of Yoga and Devotion
यस्मात् संजायते कृत्सनं यत्र चैव प्रलीयते / नमस्तस्मै सुरेशाय विष्णवे कूर्मरूपिणे
yasmāt saṃjāyate kṛtsanaṃ yatra caiva pralīyate / namastasmai sureśāya viṣṇave kūrmarūpiṇe
From whom the whole universe arises, and in whom it is dissolved—salutations to that Lord of the gods, to Vishnu who bears the form of Kurma, the sacred Tortoise.
A devotee/narrator offering a stuti (hymn) within the Purva-bhaga narrative
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
FAQs
It presents the Supreme as the source (janma) and the final ground (laya) of all existence—implying an underlying reality in which the cosmos arises and into which it returns, a hallmark of Purāṇic non-dual theism.
The verse emphasizes bhakti as a yogic discipline: contemplation of Ishvara as the origin and dissolution of the universe, expressed through namas (reverential surrender), which supports steadiness of mind (dhyāna) in Kurma Purana’s broader yoga-teachings.
By praising Vishnu as the cosmic absolute (creator and dissolver), it aligns with the Kurma Purana’s synthesis where the supreme Ishvara is approached through multiple divine forms—supporting a non-sectarian, unity-oriented reading found across Shaiva-Vaishnava passages.