Kurma Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 23
Prākṛta Sṛṣṭi and Pralaya: From Pradhāna to Brahmāṇḍa; Trimūrti Samanvaya
एकादशं मनस्तत्र स्वगुणेनोभयात्मकम् / भूततन्मात्रसर्गो ऽयं भूतादेरभवन् प्रजाः
ekādaśaṃ manastatra svaguṇenobhayātmakam / bhūtatanmātrasargo 'yaṃ bhūtāderabhavan prajāḥ
Là, comme onzième principe, surgit le mental (manas) : par sa qualité propre, il est de nature double. Telle est l’émanation des tanmātras et des bhūtas ; et du bhūtādi, source primordiale des éléments, vinrent à l’existence les êtres (prajās).
Suta (narrating the Kurma Purana’s cosmology to the sages, within the Purva-bhaga discourse tradition)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
FAQs
Indirectly: it maps the evolutes of prakṛti—mind, tanmātras, and bhūtas—implying that the Atman is distinct from these changing principles and is known by discerning the self from the mind–element complex.
The verse supports sāṅkhya-viveka used in Yoga: observe mind (manas) as an instrument with a dual function (inner resolve and outer sense-coordination), then withdraw identification from its modifications—an underpinning for dhyāna and vairāgya emphasized across Kurma Purana teachings.
This specific verse is cosmological rather than devotional; yet its tattva-based account aligns with the Purana’s broader Shaiva–Vaishnava synthesis by presenting a shared philosophical framework (creation through principles) that both Shiva- and Vishnu-centered teachings employ.