Kurma Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 62
Adhyāya 25 — Liṅga-māhātmya (The Chapter on the Liṅga): Hari’s Śiva-Worship and the Fiery Pillar Theophany
मार्कण्डेय उवाच किं तल्लिङ्गं सुरश्रेष्ठ लिङ्गे संपूज्यते च कः / ब्रूहि कृष्ण विशालाक्ष गहनं ह्येतदुत्तमम्
mārkaṇḍeya uvāca kiṃ talliṅgaṃ suraśreṣṭha liṅge saṃpūjyate ca kaḥ / brūhi kṛṣṇa viśālākṣa gahanaṃ hyetaduttamam
Mārkaṇḍeya berkata: “Wahai yang terbaik di antara para dewa, apakah Liṅga itu? Dan siapakah yang dipuja dengan penghormatan penuh di dalam Liṅga? Jelaskanlah, wahai Kṛṣṇa bermata lebar; perkara luhur ini sungguh mendalam.”
Markandeya
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
FAQs
Indirectly, by treating the Liṅga as a “profound and supreme” subject: the verse frames the Liṅga not as a mere object, but as a subtle locus of the highest reality worthy of inquiry—hinting at a deeper, transcendent referent beyond form.
No specific technique is prescribed in this verse; instead it establishes the prerequisite of right inquiry (jijñāsā) into the object of worship—an essential foundation for disciplined worship and contemplative understanding in the Kurma Purana’s Shaiva-Vaishnava synthesis.
By having Markandeya ask Krishna (Vishnu) to explain the Liṅga, it positions Vishnu as an authoritative revealer of Liṅga-tattva—supporting the Purana’s harmonizing approach where Shiva-symbolism and Vishnu-guidance are mutually affirming rather than opposed.