Kurma Purana — Uttara Bhaga, Shloka 4
Rudrakoṭi, Madhuvana, Puṣpanagarī, and Kālañjara — Śveta’s Bhakti and the Subjugation of Kāla
तेषां भक्तिं तदा दृष्ट्वा गिरिशो योगिनां गुरुः / कोटिरूपो ऽभवद् रुद्रो रुद्रकोटिस्ततः स्मृतः
teṣāṃ bhaktiṃ tadā dṛṣṭvā giriśo yogināṃ guruḥ / koṭirūpo 'bhavad rudro rudrakoṭistataḥ smṛtaḥ
Melihat bhakti mereka saat itu, Girīśa—Rudra, guru para yogin—menjelma menjadi berwujud krore (tak terhitung banyaknya). Karena itu beliau dikenang sebagai “Rudrakoṭi”.
Narrator (Purāṇic recitation tradition, describing Śiva/Rudra’s manifestation in response to devotees)
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
FAQs
By presenting Rudra as capable of countless manifestations while remaining the guru of yogins, the verse points to a single supreme reality that can appear in many forms without losing its essential unity—an idea aligned with Purāṇic non-dual theological language.
The verse emphasizes the yogic ideal of taking Śiva as “yogināṃ guruḥ” (teacher of yogins): devotion (bhakti) becomes a direct catalyst for divine grace, complementing discipline-based yoga with surrender and reverence central to Pāśupata-oriented spirituality.
Within the Kurma Purana’s synthetic theology, Rudra’s responsive grace to devotion supports the broader Shaiva–Vaishnava harmony: supreme divinity is approached through multiple names and forms, and devotion is validated as a shared path across sectarian expressions.