Kurma Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 17
Oṅkāra-Liṅga and the Secret Pañcāyatana Liṅgas of Kāśī: Kṛttivāseśvara-Māhātmya
तेषां लिङ्गान्महादेवः प्रादुरासीत् त्रिलोचनः / रक्षणार्थं द्विजश्रेष्ठा भक्तानां भक्तवत्सलः
teṣāṃ liṅgānmahādevaḥ prādurāsīt trilocanaḥ / rakṣaṇārthaṃ dvijaśreṣṭhā bhaktānāṃ bhaktavatsalaḥ
De leur liṅga se manifesta Mahādeva, le Seigneur aux trois yeux, ô le meilleur des deux-fois-nés, afin de les protéger; car il chérit ses dévots et demeure plein de tendresse envers ceux qui l’adorent.
Primary narrator (Purāṇic narration to the sages)
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: vira
FAQs
It emphasizes the Supreme as personally responsive—manifesting for protection—showing that the transcendent Lord also becomes accessible through devotion (bhakti) without diminishing his divine sovereignty.
The verse foregrounds bhakti as a practical spiritual discipline: steadfast worship centered on the liṅga, cultivating surrender and single-pointed devotion that aligns with Purāṇic yoga as devotion-supported inner steadiness.
By presenting Śiva as the compassionate protector who responds to devotion, it supports the Kurma Purana’s broader harmony where sectarian forms serve the same supreme, devotionally approachable reality.