Kurma Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 26
Viṣṇu at Upamanyu’s Āśrama: Pāśupata Tapas, Darśana of Śiva, and Boons from Devī
दृष्ट्वा तं योगिनां श्रेष्ठं भस्मोद्धूलितविग्रहम् / जटाचीरधरं शान्तं ननाम शिरसा मुनिम्
dṛṣṭvā taṃ yogināṃ śreṣṭhaṃ bhasmoddhūlitavigraham / jaṭācīradharaṃ śāntaṃ nanāma śirasā munim
Voyant le plus éminent des yogins —le corps poudré de cendre sacrée, portant les jata et l’habit d’écorce, paisible d’allure—, il s’inclina et salua le sage de la tête.
Narrator (Purāṇic narrator describing the devotee’s approach to the sage)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
FAQs
Indirectly: the “foremost of yogins” embodies inner śānti (tranquility) and renunciation, implying that realization of the Self is reflected in serenity, humility, and freedom from outward display.
The verse highlights the Pāśupata-Śaiva yogic ideal through external marks (bhasma, jaṭā, cīra) that signify inner disciplines—vairāgya (dispassion), self-restraint, and contemplative steadiness—paired with devotional reverence toward realized sages.
By honoring the Śaiva yogin’s marks (bhasma, jaṭā) within the Kurma Purana’s narrative world, it supports the Purāṇa’s synthetic vision where Vaiṣṇava devotion and Śaiva yogic authority coexist as complementary paths to the same Supreme.