Kurma Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 48
Invocation, Purāṇa Lakṣaṇas, Kurma at the Samudra-manthana, and Indradyumna’s Liberation Teaching
Iśvara-Gītā Prelude
मां प्रणम्य पुरीं गत्वा पालयामास मेदिनीम् / कालधर्मं गतः कालाच्छ्वेतद्वीपे मया सह
māṃ praṇamya purīṃ gatvā pālayāmāsa medinīm / kāladharmaṃ gataḥ kālācchvetadvīpe mayā saha
S’étant prosterné devant Moi, il se rendit à la cité royale et gouverna la terre. En temps voulu, lorsque la loi du Temps s’accomplit pour lui, il partit à l’heure qui lui était assignée—et demeure à présent avec Moi en Śvetadvīpa.
Lord Kūrma (Viṣṇu) speaking within the Purāṇic narration
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: karuna
FAQs
It implies a Lord-centered liberation: the devotee-king, after fulfilling dharma, transcends mortal time (kāla-dharma) and attains proximity to the Supreme in Śvetadvīpa, suggesting the Self’s ultimate refuge is the Lord beyond time.
The verse foregrounds bhakti as a yogic discipline—praṇāma (reverential surrender) coupled with dharma in action (ruling/protecting the earth). In the Kūrma Purāṇa’s broader yoga-ethic, inner devotion is validated through outer duty.
While Śvetadvīpa is explicitly Vaiṣṇava in imagery, the teaching aligns with the Purāṇa’s synthesis: liberation comes through surrender to the supreme Lord beyond kāla—an idea the text elsewhere harmonizes across Śiva-Viṣṇu unity.