Kurma Purana — Uttara Bhaga, Shloka 29
Prākṛta-pralaya, Pratisarga Doctrine, and the Ishvara-Samanvaya of Yoga and Devotion
सर्वेश्वराः सर्ववन्द्याः शाश्वतानन्तभोगिनः / एकमेवाक्षरं तत्त्वं पुंप्रधानेश्वरात्मकम्
sarveśvarāḥ sarvavandyāḥ śāśvatānantabhoginaḥ / ekamevākṣaraṃ tattvaṃ puṃpradhāneśvarātmakam
All the lords (of the worlds) are worthy of all reverence, and they partake of eternal and unending enjoyments; yet the Reality is one alone—the imperishable Principle—whose nature is the triad of Puruṣa, Pradhāna, and Īśvara.
Lord Kurma (Vishnu) teaching in the Ishvara Gita section
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
FAQs
It points beyond all subordinate “lords” to a single imperishable Reality (akṣara-tattva), presenting it as the ultimate principle that integrates consciousness (Puruṣa), primordial nature (Pradhāna), and sovereign divinity (Īśvara).
The verse supports Ishvara-centered contemplation: meditating on the one Akṣara as the inner essence of Puruṣa–Pradhāna–Īśvara, a doctrinal basis for Pāśupata-style devotion and yogic absorption where the practitioner transcends limited cosmic powers and fixes awareness on the supreme Lord-principle.
By teaching one imperishable Īśvara-tattva behind all forms of lordship, it aligns with the Kurma Purana’s non-sectarian synthesis: the supreme Lord is one, while names and functions (often expressed as Shiva or Vishnu) are unified in that single Akṣara Reality.