Kurma Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 8
Jambūdvīpa Varṣas, Bhārata as Karmabhūmi, and the Sacred Hydro-Topography of Dharma
यजन्ति सततं देवं चतुर्मूर्ति चतुर्मुखम् / ध्याने मनः समाधाय सादरं भक्तिसंयुताः
yajanti satataṃ devaṃ caturmūrti caturmukham / dhyāne manaḥ samādhāya sādaraṃ bhaktisaṃyutāḥ
Pleinement dévoués, ils adorent sans cesse le Seigneur—aux quatre formes et aux quatre visages—fixant l’esprit en samādhi dans la méditation, avec révérence et bhakti entière.
Narrator (Purāṇic discourse context; describing the conduct of devoted worshippers)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
FAQs
By presenting the one Deva as “four-formed” and “four-faced,” the verse points to a single Supreme reality that can be approached through multiple manifestations, while inner realization is pursued by steadying the mind in meditative absorption.
The practice emphasized is dhyāna leading to samādhi: gathering the mind (manaḥ samādhāya) and sustaining contemplative focus alongside worship. It reflects the Kurma Purana’s integrated path where ritual devotion supports yogic interiorization.
Rather than separating sectarian identities, it centers on Iśvara as the single Deva worshipped with bhakti and realized through yoga—consistent with the Kurma Purana’s tendency toward Shaiva–Vaishnava synthesis in the language of one Supreme Lord approached in diverse forms.