Kurma Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 11
Prākṛta Sṛṣṭi and Pralaya: From Pradhāna to Brahmāṇḍa; Trimūrti Samanvaya
ब्राह्मी रात्रिरियं प्रोक्ता अहः सृष्टिरुदाहृता / अहर्न विद्यते तस्य न रात्रिर्ह्युपचारतः
brāhmī rātririyaṃ proktā ahaḥ sṛṣṭirudāhṛtā / aharna vidyate tasya na rātrirhyupacārataḥ
Ceci est proclamé comme la ‘nuit’ de Brahmā, et le temps de la manifestation est appelé son ‘jour’. Mais pour cette Réalité suprême, en vérité il n’y a ni jour ni nuit : ce ne sont que des désignations conventionnelles.
Sūta (narrator) recounting the Purāṇic teaching on cosmic time; ultimately reflecting the Kurma Purana’s Supreme-Brahman standpoint
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
FAQs
It states that ‘day’ and ‘night’ apply only to Brahmā’s cosmic administration of creation and dissolution; the Supreme Self is beyond temporal opposites, and such terms are used only conventionally.
The verse points to a yogic insight central to Purāṇic Yoga: transcending dualities (dvandva) such as day/night and creation/dissolution by steady contemplation on the timeless Paramātman—an orientation consistent with Pāśupata-style detachment and inner absorption.
By emphasizing one timeless Supreme beyond all cosmic cycles, it supports the Kurma Purana’s non-sectarian synthesis: Shiva and Vishnu are understood as expressions of the same ultimate Reality that is untouched by ‘day’ and ‘night’.