Kurma Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 5
Nine Creations (Sarga), Guṇa-Streams of Beings, and Brahmā’s Progeny in Cyclic Time
तं दृष्ट्वासाधकं सर्गममन्यदपरं प्रभुः / तस्याभिध्यायतः सर्गस्तिर्यक्स्त्रोतो ऽभ्यवर्तत
taṃ dṛṣṭvāsādhakaṃ sargamamanyadaparaṃ prabhuḥ / tasyābhidhyāyataḥ sargastiryakstroto 'bhyavartata
Melihat sarga itu tidak memadai bagi tujuannya, Sang Prabhu memikirkan sarga yang lain. Ketika Ia bermeditasi, muncullah penciptaan bernama ‘tiryak-srotas’—makhluk yang arus kehidupannya bergerak mendatar (alam hewan).
Sūta (narrator) recounting the cosmic creation under the Lord’s will
Primary Rasa: vira
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
FAQs
It presents the Supreme Lord as the conscious source whose mere contemplation (abhidhyāna) precipitates manifestation—implying that ultimate reality is awareness that can project ordered creation.
The key motif is īśvara-abhidhyāna—contemplation of the Lord—an archetype for dhyāna in Yoga-shāstra, where focused awareness becomes the causal force for inner transformation (and, in cosmology, for emanation).
By using the non-sectarian title “Prabhu/Iśvara” for the creative absolute, the verse supports the Kurma Purana’s synthetic stance: the supreme divine principle can be spoken of in Shaiva or Vaishnava idiom without contradiction.