Kurma Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 120
Invocation, Purāṇa Lakṣaṇas, Kurma at the Samudra-manthana, and Indradyumna’s Liberation Teaching
Iśvara-Gītā Prelude
ऋषय ऊचुः देवदेव हृषीकेश नाथ नारायणामल / तद् वदाशेषमस्माकं यदुक्तं भवता पुरा
ṛṣaya ūcuḥ devadeva hṛṣīkeśa nātha nārāyaṇāmala / tad vadāśeṣamasmākaṃ yaduktaṃ bhavatā purā
ऋषियों ने कहा—हे देवदेव हृषीकेश! हे नाथ, निर्मल नारायण! जो उपदेश आपने पूर्वकाल में कहा था, उसे हमारे लिए पूर्ण रूप से कहिए।
The sages (Ṛṣis)
Primary Rasa: bhakti
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
FAQs
By addressing Nārāyaṇa as “stainless” (amala) and “God of gods,” the verse points to the Supreme as pure and transcendent; the sages seek the timeless teaching that leads toward realizing that pure Reality.
No specific technique is listed in this verse; it functions as the formal request for complete upadeśa (instruction). In the Kurma Purana’s broader arc, such a request introduces disciplined hearing (śravaṇa), reflection, and later yogic/vrata-based practice aligned with devotion and Pāśupata-oriented spiritual discipline.
The verse directly invokes Nārāyaṇa as the supreme teacher; in the Kurma Purana’s synthesis, this same supreme Lord is understood as the single highest reality praised through both Vaiṣṇava and Śaiva theological language, setting the stage for non-sectarian instruction.