Kurma Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 28
Cosmic Realms Above Dhruva, the Pātālas Below, and the Foundation of Pralaya
Ananta–Kāla
तमाविश्य महायोगी कालस्तद्वदनोत्थितः / विषज्वालामयो ऽन्ते ऽसौ जगत् संहरति स्वयम्
tamāviśya mahāyogī kālastadvadanotthitaḥ / viṣajvālāmayo 'nte 'sau jagat saṃharati svayam
Memasuki Dia, Kala sang Mahāyogin yang muncul dari mulut-Nya, pada akhir zaman menjadi gumpalan nyala beracun dan dengan sendirinya melarutkan jagat ke dalam pralaya.
Narratorial voice within the Kurma Purana’s cosmology (teaching context traditionally framed around Lord Kūrma’s instruction)
Primary Rasa: raudra
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
FAQs
By portraying Kāla as a cosmic force that “enters” and then dissolves the world, the verse implies the Atman/Iśvara stands prior to and beyond temporal processes—Time operates in relation to that supreme ground, which remains untouched by dissolution.
The verse uses Yoga language—calling Time a “mahāyogin”—to suggest mastery and inward withdrawal (saṃhāra). In practice, it supports the yogic ideal of pratyāhāra and vairāgya: recognizing all phenomena as time-bound and cultivating detachment toward the cycle of creation and dissolution.
Without naming either directly, the imagery aligns with Purāṇic non-dual synthesis: dissolution is a function of the one supreme Lord’s power (often articulated as Viṣṇu sustaining and Rudra/Śiva dissolving), indicating complementary expressions of a single ultimate reality rather than competing deities.