Kurma Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 109
Devī-tattva, Śakti–Śaktimān doctrine, Kāla–Māyā cosmology, and Māheśvara Yoga instruction
नीतिः सुनीतिः सुकृतिर्माधवी नरवाहिनी / अजा विभावरी सौम्या भोगिनी भोगदायिनी
nītiḥ sunītiḥ sukṛtirmādhavī naravāhinī / ajā vibhāvarī saumyā bhoginī bhogadāyinī
Elle est Nīti et Sunīti : la juste conduite et la noble discipline; elle est Sukṛti, la vertu méritoire. Elle est Mādhavī, la puissance bien-aimée de Mādhava; elle est celle que les humains portent et vénèrent. Inengendrée, elle est la Nuit elle-même, douce et de bon augure; elle est la jouisseuse et la dispensatrice des jouissances.
Lord Kūrma (Viṣṇu) teaching in the Īśvara-gītā section (stotra-style enumeration of Śakti’s names)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: shringara
FAQs
By identifying the Divine Power with nīti (ethical order) and sukṛti (inner merit), the verse implies that spiritual realization is inseparable from an all-pervading sacred principle that governs both inner conscience and outer order—pointing to the One Reality manifesting as virtue, auspiciousness, and fruition.
The verse foregrounds discipline (sunīti) and ethical alignment (nīti) as foundational limbs for Yoga: self-regulation, purity of intention, and merit-producing conduct that supports deeper contemplative practice—consistent with Kurma Purana’s Pāśupata-oriented emphasis on dharma as the ground for higher realization.
Though Mādhavī directly links Śakti with Mādhava (Viṣṇu), the Īśvara-gītā context treats the Divine as one, expressed through shared Śakti-theology that is compatible with Śaiva and Vaiṣṇava frameworks—supporting the Purāṇa’s non-sectarian synthesis.