Kurma Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 17
Devī-tattva, Śakti–Śaktimān doctrine, Kāla–Māyā cosmology, and Māheśvara Yoga instruction
ऋषय ऊचुः कैषा भगवती देवी शङ्करार्धशरीरिणी / शिवा सती हैमवती यथावद् ब्रूहि पृच्छताम्
ṛṣaya ūcuḥ kaiṣā bhagavatī devī śaṅkarārdhaśarīriṇī / śivā satī haimavatī yathāvad brūhi pṛcchatām
ऋषियों ने कहा—वह भगवती देवी कौन हैं जो शंकर के अर्धशरीर रूप में विराजती हैं, जो शिवा, सती और हैमवती कहलाती हैं? हम पूछते हैं, आप हमें यथार्थ रूप से बताइए।
The sages (Ṛṣis)
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
FAQs
Indirectly: by asking about the Goddess as Śaṅkara’s half-body, the verse points to non-separateness—Śiva and Śakti as one reality—hinting that ultimate truth is a unified principle rather than competing divinities.
No specific practice is prescribed in this verse; it establishes the doctrinal basis for later sādhana by seeking correct knowledge (yathāvat-jñāna) of Devī-tattva, which supports Shaiva disciplines such as Pāśupata-oriented devotion, mantra, and contemplation on Śiva–Śakti unity.
By foregrounding Śiva–Śakti unity (Ardhanārī), it aligns with the Kurma Purana’s broader synthetic tone where sectarian forms are interpreted as complementary manifestations—supporting a non-rival, integrative theology that later accommodates Hari–Hara harmony.