Kurma Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 41
Dakṣa’s Progeny, Nṛsiṃha–Varāha Avatāras, and Andhaka’s Defeat
Hari–Hara–Śakti Synthesis
दुद्रुवुः केचिदन्योन्ममूचुः संभ्रान्तलोचनाः / अयं स देवो देवानां गोप्ता नारायणो रिपुः
dudruvuḥ kecidanyonmamūcuḥ saṃbhrāntalocanāḥ / ayaṃ sa devo devānāṃ goptā nārāyaṇo ripuḥ
कुछ भाग खड़े हुए, और कुछ घबराए हुए नेत्रों से चिल्ला उठे—“यह वही देव है—नारायण—देवताओं का रक्षक और शत्रुओं का संहारक।”
The devas (gods) / divine onlookers reacting in fear and recognition (narrative report by the Purana’s storyteller).
Primary Rasa: bhayanaka
Secondary Rasa: vira
FAQs
By naming Nārāyaṇa as the “protector of the gods,” the verse points to a supreme sustaining principle that safeguards cosmic order (dharma); this protective lordship is a functional expression of the highest reality governing the universe.
No specific technique is taught in this line; instead it supplies the devotional-theological ground for yoga—turning the mind from panic and dispersion toward a single refuge (Nārāyaṇa) as protector, a prerequisite for steadiness (ekāgratā) in practice.
Though Vishnu is explicitly named as Nārāyaṇa, the Kurma Purana’s broader Shaiva–Vaishnava synthesis frames such divine protection as a manifestation of the one supreme lord (Īśvara) revered through multiple forms, avoiding sectarian separation.