Kurma Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 61
Invocation, Purāṇa Lakṣaṇas, Kurma at the Samudra-manthana, and Indradyumna’s Liberation Teaching
Iśvara-Gītā Prelude
इत्युक्तः स मुनिश्रेष्ठ इन्द्रद्युम्नो महामतिः / प्रणम्य शिरसा देवीं प्राञ्जलिः पुनरब्रवीत्
ityuktaḥ sa muniśreṣṭha indradyumno mahāmatiḥ / praṇamya śirasā devīṃ prāñjaliḥ punarabravīt
Ainsi interpellé, le roi Indradyumna, au grand esprit—le plus éminent des sages—inclina la tête devant la Déesse; puis, les mains jointes en añjali, il reprit la parole.
Narrator (Purāṇic narrator describing Indradyumna’s action before he speaks)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: bhakti
FAQs
Indirectly: it highlights the inner disposition of humility and reverence that the Purāṇas treat as a prerequisite for receiving higher knowledge of the Self.
The verse emphasizes bhāva (inner attitude) and upacāra (reverential posture): bowing (praṇāma) and añjali—foundational disciplines that support later yogic instruction by cultivating surrender and steadiness.
By placing Devī at the center of reverence, it reflects the Kurma Purana’s integrative theology where devotion to the Divine (including Devī) harmonizes Shaiva and Vaishnava streams rather than opposing them.