Kurma Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 1
Genealogies of Kaśyapa and Pulastya; Rise of Brahmavādin Lines and Rākṣasa Branches
इति श्रीकूर्मपुराणे षट्साहस्त्र्यां संहितायां पूर्वविभागे सप्तदशो ऽध्यायः सूत उवाच एतानुत्पाद्य पुत्रांस्तु प्रजासंतानकारणात् / कश्यपो गोत्रकामस्तु चचार सुमहत् तपः
iti śrīkūrmapurāṇe ṣaṭsāhastryāṃ saṃhitāyāṃ pūrvavibhāge saptadaśo 'dhyāyaḥ sūta uvāca etānutpādya putrāṃstu prajāsaṃtānakāraṇāt / kaśyapo gotrakāmastu cacāra sumahat tapaḥ
Ainsi, dans le Śrī Kūrma Purāṇa, dans la compilation de six mille ślokas, au Pūrva-bhāga, s’achève le dix-septième chapitre. Sūta dit : Ayant engendré ces fils afin que la création se poursuive par la descendance, Kaśyapa—désireux d’un gotra, d’une lignée—entreprit une austérité d’une grandeur extrême.
Sūta
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: vira
FAQs
This verse is primarily genealogical and narrative: it frames creation as sustained through prajā-santati (progeny). Implicitly, it reflects the Purāṇic view that cosmic order is upheld through dharmic action (here, tapas and lineage), rather than offering a direct Ātman definition.
The practice emphasized is tapaḥ—ascetic discipline. In the Kūrma Purāṇa’s broader yogic ethos (including Pāśupata-oriented discipline), tapas functions as a force of purification and intention, supporting dharma and the continuation of cosmic creation.
This specific verse does not explicitly mention Śiva or Viṣṇu; however, its focus on tapas and cosmic continuity aligns with the Kūrma Purāṇa’s larger synthetic framework where divine order is maintained through disciplined practice endorsed across Śaiva and Vaiṣṇava strands.