Kurma Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 61
Devī-tattva, Śakti–Śaktimān doctrine, Kāla–Māyā cosmology, and Māheśvara Yoga instruction
हीमवानुवाच का त्वं देवि विशालाक्षि शशाङ्कावयवाङ्किते / न जाने त्वामहं वत्से यथावद् ब्रूहि पृच्छते
hīmavānuvāca kā tvaṃ devi viśālākṣi śaśāṅkāvayavāṅkite / na jāne tvāmahaṃ vatse yathāvad brūhi pṛcchate
Himavān dit : « Qui es-tu, ô Déesse aux grands yeux, marquée de la lune pour ornement ? Je ne te connais pas, chère enfant. Dis-le-moi comme il convient, car je t’interroge. »
Himavan (the personified Himalaya mountain)
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
FAQs
It does not directly define Ātman; instead, it frames a classic purāṇic inquiry—true knowledge begins by asking the identity (tattva-paricaya) of the divine presence.
No specific practice is taught in this line; the yogic foundation implied is śraddhā and jijñāsā (reverent inquiry), which precede instruction in disciplines like Pāśupata-oriented restraint and contemplation elsewhere in the Kurma Purana.
The moon-mark imagery is strongly Śaiva in resonance (candra symbolism), while the Kurma Purana overall promotes a synthesizing lens; here, the text sets up recognition of divinity beyond sectarian labels through inquiry.