Kurma Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 63
Nine Creations (Sarga), Guṇa-Streams of Beings, and Brahmā’s Progeny in Cyclic Time
महाभूतेषु नानात्वमिन्द्रियार्थेषु मूर्तिषु / विनियोगं च भूतानां धातैव विदधात् स्वयम्
mahābhūteṣu nānātvamindriyārtheṣu mūrtiṣu / viniyogaṃ ca bhūtānāṃ dhātaiva vidadhāt svayam
La diversité des grands éléments, des objets des sens et des formes incarnées—et même la répartition des fonctions parmi les êtres—est établie par Dhātṛ, l’Ordonnateur cosmique, de lui-même et selon son vouloir.
Lord Kūrma (Vishnu) instructing the sages/Indradyumna in cosmological doctrine
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
FAQs
It points to a single supreme ordering principle (Dhātṛ/Īśvara) behind all multiplicity—elements, sense-objects, and forms—implying that apparent diversity is governed by one conscious regulator rather than being ultimate in itself.
The verse supports a yogic contemplative approach: meditate on the Lord as the inner ordainer of the tattvas (elements and sense-fields), cultivating detachment from sensory variety and steadiness in īśvara-bhāvanā (God-centered contemplation).
By attributing cosmic regulation to one Dhātṛ/Īśvara, it aligns with the Kurma Purana’s non-sectarian synthesis: the same supreme Lord is praised through Shaiva and Vaishnava names while remaining the single source of cosmic order.