Kurma Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 12
Durjaya, Urvaśī, and the Expiation at Vārāṇasī
Genealogy and Sin-Removal through Viśveśvara
तमब्रवीत् सा सुभगा तथा कुरु विशांपते / नान्ययाप्सरसा तावद् रन्तव्यं भवत् पुनः
tamabravīt sā subhagā tathā kuru viśāṃpate / nānyayāpsarasā tāvad rantavyaṃ bhavat punaḥ
L’apsarā fortunée lui dit : «Qu’il en soit ainsi—fais donc, ô seigneur des peuples. Mais d’ici là, ne t’ébats plus avec aucune autre apsarā.»
An apsaras (the ‘subhagā’ nymph) addressing the king
Primary Rasa: shringara
Secondary Rasa: raudra
FAQs
This verse is primarily narrative and ethical, not metaphysical: it stresses restraint and fidelity in conduct rather than directly describing Ātman. In the Kurma Purana’s broader teaching, such self-control (saṃyama) supports inner clarity needed for realizing the Self.
No explicit yoga technique is taught here; the practical discipline implied is indriya-nigraha (sense-restraint). In the Purana’s larger yogic frame, mastery over desire is a prerequisite for steadiness of mind (citta-sthairya) that undergirds dhyāna.
It does not directly address Śiva–Viṣṇu unity; it functions within a moral-narrative layer of the text. The Kurma Purana’s synthesis appears more explicitly in doctrinal sections (notably the Upari-bhāga’s Ishvara Gītā), where devotion and yoga are harmonized across Śaiva–Vaiṣṇava idioms.