Kurma Purana — Uttara Bhaga, Shloka 3
Īśvara-gītā: Antaryāmin, Kāla, and the Divine Ordinance Governing Creation, Preservation, and Pralaya
सर्वेषामेव वस्तूनामन्तर्यामी पिता ह्यहम् / मध्ये चान्तः स्थितं सर्वं नाहं सर्वत्र संस्थितः
sarveṣāmeva vastūnāmantaryāmī pitā hyaham / madhye cāntaḥ sthitaṃ sarvaṃ nāhaṃ sarvatra saṃsthitaḥ
I am indeed the Antaryāmin, the inner ruler, and the father of all beings and all things. All this abides within Me—at the center and inwardly—yet I am not to be understood as merely dispersed everywhere like a material object.
Lord Kurma (Vishnu) instructing the sages/Indradyumna-context discourse in the Purva-bhaga teaching section
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
FAQs
It presents the Supreme as Antaryāmin—the indwelling controller in all beings—while also clarifying that the Lord is not merely a physical presence spread out in space; all exists within Him, indicating transcendence alongside immanence.
The verse supports antaryāmin-dhyāna: meditation on Īśvara as the inner witness and governor within the heart (antaḥ), a key orientation for īśvara-anusandhāna (continuous contemplation of the Lord) found in Kurma Purana’s yoga-teachings.
By emphasizing one inner Lord present within all, it aligns with the Purana’s synthetic stance: Shiva and Vishnu are understood as expressions/names of the same supreme indwelling reality rather than competing deities.