Kurma Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 61
Nine Creations (Sarga), Guṇa-Streams of Beings, and Brahmā’s Progeny in Cyclic Time
तेषां ये यानि कर्माणि प्राक्सृष्टौ प्रतिपेदिरे / तान्येव ते प्रपद्यन्ते सृज्यमानाः पुनः पुनः
teṣāṃ ye yāni karmāṇi prāksṛṣṭau pratipedire / tānyeva te prapadyante sṛjyamānāḥ punaḥ punaḥ
Quelles que soient les actions que ces êtres adoptèrent lors de la création précédente—ce sont ces mêmes actions qu’ils reprennent, lorsqu’ils sont recréés, encore et encore.
Lord Kurma (Vishnu) instructing the sages/Indradyumna on cosmic order and karma
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: karuna
FAQs
By highlighting that beings repeat prior karmic patterns across creations, the verse implies the Atman is distinct from changing actions and embodiments; bondage persists through karma until knowledge and discipline loosen identification with action and its fruits.
This verse itself stresses karmic continuity; in Kurma Purana’s broader teaching, this supports Yoga as a method to break repetitive karmic grooves—through self-restraint (yama/niyama), devotion to Ishvara, and inner steadiness that reduces karma-driven compulsion.
Indirectly: the teaching is voiced in a Vishnu form (Kurma) yet aligns with Shaiva-Pashupata concerns about karma and liberation, reflecting the Purana’s non-sectarian synthesis where the same Supreme Lord teaches the law of karma and the path beyond it.