Shloka 32
Invocation, Purāṇa Lakṣaṇas, Kurma at the Samudra-manthana, and Indradyumna’s Liberation Teaching
Iśvara-Gītā Prelude
भगवन् देवदेवेश नारायण जगन्मय / कैषा देवी विशालाक्षी यथावद् ब्रूहि पृच्छताम्
bhagavan devadeveśa nārāyaṇa jaganmaya / kaiṣā devī viśālākṣī yathāvad brūhi pṛcchatām
Ô Bhagavān, Dieu des dieux, Nārāyaṇa qui pénètres l’univers entier, qui est cette Déesse aux vastes yeux ? Explique-le comme il convient, car nous demandons à connaître.
The inquiring sages (addressing Lord Narayana/Kurma as Devadevesha)
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
FAQs
By addressing Narayana as “jaganmaya” (pervading/constituting the cosmos), the verse presents the Supreme as immanent in all beings—an Upanishadic-style basis for understanding the Self as grounded in the all-pervading Lord.
No specific technique is taught in this line; it establishes the yogic method of śraddhā and praśna (reverent inquiry). In the Kurma Purana’s broader teaching style, correct questioning precedes instruction on discipline, devotion, and later Pāśupata-oriented practices.
The verse directly praises Narayana as supreme while inquiring into Devī-tattva, a common Purāṇic strategy that supports synthesis: the one Supreme is approached through multiple divine forms (Vishnu, Shiva, and the Goddess) without denying their shared transcendence.