Kurma Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 4
Incarnations of Mahādeva in Kali-yuga (Vaivasvata Manvantara) and the Nakulīśa Horizon
श्वेतः श्वेतशिखश्चैव श्वेतास्यः श्वेतलोहितः / चत्वारस्ते महात्मानो ब्राह्मणा वेदपारगाः
śvetaḥ śvetaśikhaścaiva śvetāsyaḥ śvetalohitaḥ / catvāraste mahātmāno brāhmaṇā vedapāragāḥ
Śveta, Śvetasikha, Śvetāsya et Śvetalohita : ces quatre-là étaient de grandes âmes, des sages brāhmaṇas parvenus à la pleine maîtrise des Veda.
Narrator (Purāṇic narrator describing the sages within the Indradyumna–Lord Kūrma narrative frame)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
FAQs
This verse does not directly define Ātman; it establishes the authority of the speakers/actors—Veda-master sages—whose later teachings on dharma and liberation are grounded in śruti-based insight.
No specific yoga technique is stated here; the verse highlights Vedic mastery (veda-pāragatva) as the qualifying discipline, which in the Kurma Purana supports later teachings on devotion, austerity, and Pāśupata-oriented sādhanā.
The verse itself is descriptive and neutral; by foregrounding Veda-grounded sages, it supports the Kurma Purana’s broader method of harmonizing Śaiva and Vaiṣṇava teachings through shared Vedic authority.