Kurma Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 20
Kṛṣṇa’s Departure, Kali-yuga Dharma, and the Prohibition of Śiva-Nindā
Hari–Hara Samanvaya
ततो नारायणः कृष्णो लीलयैव जगन्मयः / संहृत्य स्वकुलं सर्वं ययौ तत् परमं पदम्
tato nārāyaṇaḥ kṛṣṇo līlayaiva jaganmayaḥ / saṃhṛtya svakulaṃ sarvaṃ yayau tat paramaṃ padam
Puis Nārāyaṇa—Kṛṣṇa, qui pénètre l’univers—par son seul līlā divin retira tout son propre clan et s’en alla vers cet État suprême, la Demeure la plus haute.
Narrator (Purāṇic narrator describing the Lord’s līlā and saṃhāra)
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
FAQs
By calling Kṛṣṇa “Nārāyaṇa” and “jaganmayaḥ,” the verse presents the Supreme as both transcendent (parama-pada) and immanent in all beings; the same Reality that pervades the world can also withdraw it, indicating sovereign, non-limited Selfhood.
No specific technique is listed, but the verse supports a core yogic contemplation taught in the Kurma tradition: meditating on Īśvara as the Lord of manifestation and withdrawal (sṛṣṭi–sthiti–saṃhāra), cultivating vairāgya and turning the mind toward the “paramam padam” as the highest goal.
Though explicitly Vaiṣṇava in naming Nārāyaṇa-Kṛṣṇa, the theology aligns with the Purāṇa’s synthesis: the Supreme Lord is the single Īśvara who performs cosmic functions (including saṃhāra), a role often associated with Śiva—thus pointing to functional unity rather than sectarian separation.