Kurma Purana — Uttara Bhaga, Shloka 20
Rudra’s Cosmic Dance and the Recognition of Rudra–Nārāyaṇa Unity (Īśvara-gītā Continuation)
दृष्ट्वाथ रुद्रं जगदीशितारं तं पद्मनाभाश्रितवामभागम् / ध्यात्वा हृदिस्थं प्रणिपत्य मूर्ध्ना बद्ध्वाञ्जलिं स्वेषु शिरःसु भूयः
dṛṣṭvātha rudraṃ jagadīśitāraṃ taṃ padmanābhāśritavāmabhāgam / dhyātvā hṛdisthaṃ praṇipatya mūrdhnā baddhvāñjaliṃ sveṣu śiraḥsu bhūyaḥ
तब जगत् के अधीश्वर रुद्र को देखकर—जिनके वामभाग में पद्मनाभ (विष्णु) आश्रित थे—उन्होंने उन्हें हृदय में स्थित मानकर ध्यान किया; और मस्तक से प्रणाम कर, फिर से जुड़े हुए हाथ अपने ही सिर पर रखकर वंदना की।
Sūta (narrator) describing the sages’/devotees’ response to the vision of Rudra-Nārāyaṇa
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
FAQs
By directing meditation to Rudra as “hṛdistha”—present within the heart—the verse points to Īśvara’s immanence: the divine is not only cosmic ruler but also inwardly accessible as the indwelling reality.
It emphasizes dhyāna (contemplation of the deity within the heart) combined with bhakti-aṅgas: praṇipāta (bowing) and añjali (joined palms), a devotional-meditative discipline aligned with Purāṇic and Pāśupata-oriented reverence.
Rudra is seen with Padmanābha abiding on his left side, presenting a unified divinity—Śiva and Viṣṇu as mutually indwelling and non-opposed—supporting the Kurma Purana’s non-sectarian synthesis.