Kurma Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 6
Invocation, Purāṇa Lakṣaṇas, Kurma at the Samudra-manthana, and Indradyumna’s Liberation Teaching
Iśvara-Gītā Prelude
त्वं हि स्वायंभुवे यज्ञे सुत्याहे वितते हरिः / संभूतः संहितां वक्तुं स्वांशेन पुरुषोत्तमः
tvaṃ hi svāyaṃbhuve yajñe sutyāhe vitate hariḥ / saṃbhūtaḥ saṃhitāṃ vaktuṃ svāṃśena puruṣottamaḥ
Car tu es véritablement Hari—le Puruṣottama, la Personne suprême—qui, lors du sacrifice de Svāyambhuva Manu, tandis que se déployait le rite du pressage du Soma, se manifesta par une part de ton propre être afin de proclamer cette saṃhitā sacrée.
Sūta (narrator) describing Hari’s manifestation for transmitting the Kurma Purana saṃhitā
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
FAQs
It presents Hari as Puruṣottama who can manifest “by his own portion” without losing transcendence—implying the Supreme Self remains whole while appearing in a knowable form for teaching.
This verse is a framing statement rather than a practice-instruction: it establishes the authority of the saṃhitā revealed by Hari, which later includes disciplines such as Pāśupata-oriented devotion, dhyāna, and dharma-based purification.
By grounding the text’s revelation in Hari/Puruṣottama, it sets up the Kurma Purana’s synthetic approach where the same Supreme reality teaches paths that honor both Vaiṣṇava and Śaiva streams, later articulated through Ishvara-centered (Īśvara) theology.