Kurma Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 18
Puṣkara-dvīpa, Lokāloka, and the Measure of the Brahmāṇḍa
Cosmic Egg
दशोत्तरमथैकैकमण्डावरणसप्तकम् / समन्तात् संस्थितं विप्रा यत्र यान्ति मनीषिणः
daśottaramathaikaikamaṇḍāvaraṇasaptakam / samantāt saṃsthitaṃ viprā yatra yānti manīṣiṇaḥ
और फिर, हे विप्रों, प्रत्येक ब्रह्माण्ड के चारों ओर सात-सात आवरणों के सत्रह मंडल (वृत्त) स्थित हैं—जिनकी ओर मनीषीजन ध्यान-यात्रा में अग्रसर होते हैं।
Suta (narrator) recounting the Purana’s description to the sages (Shaunaka’s assembly)
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
FAQs
By presenting ordered concentric “enclosures,” the verse points to a contemplative model: the wise move inward through successive coverings—symbolically mirroring the yogic movement from outer layers toward the innermost Self.
The verse emphasizes dhyāna through mandala-structure: progressing step-by-step (āvaraṇa-krama) as a meditative pilgrimage—an approach compatible with Purāṇic yoga where sacred geography becomes a support (ālambana) for concentration.
Indirectly: the Purāṇa’s mandala-based sacred order supports a synthesis where pilgrimage and contemplation lead to the one supreme principle revered through both Shaiva and Vaishnava lenses, rather than treating them as mutually exclusive.