Kurma Purana — Uttara Bhaga, Shloka 19
Rudrakoṭi, Madhuvana, Puṣpanagarī, and Kālañjara — Śveta’s Bhakti and the Subjugation of Kāla
इत्युक्तवन्तं भगवानब्रवीद् भीतमानसम् / रुद्रार्चनरतो वान्यो मद्वशे को न तिष्ठति
ityuktavantaṃ bhagavānabravīd bhītamānasam / rudrārcanarato vānyo madvaśe ko na tiṣṭhati
Kepada sang raja yang hatinya gentar itu, Bhagavān bersabda, “Entah ia tekun memuja Rudra atau menekuni yang lain—siapa yang tidak berada di bawah kuasa-Ku?”
Bhagavan (Lord Vishnu/Kurma, asserting supreme sovereignty while affirming Rudra-worship)
Primary Rasa: raudra
Secondary Rasa: shanta
FAQs
It presents a single supreme Ishvara whose sovereignty encompasses all religious orientations, implying one ultimate Self/Controller behind diverse forms of devotion.
The verse foregrounds bhakti as disciplined worship (arcana), especially Rudra-archana, while teaching that such practice culminates under one supreme divine order—consistent with Kurma Purana’s integrative Shaiva-Vaishnava soteriology.
It affirms Rudra-worship yet places it within the overarching sovereignty of Bhagavan, reflecting the Kurma Purana’s non-sectarian synthesis where Shiva devotion and Vishnu’s supreme Ishvara status are harmonized.