Shloka 126
Devadāru (Dāruvana) Forest: The Delusion of Ritual Pride, the Liṅga Crisis, and the Teaching of Jñāna–Pāśupata Yoga
केन वा देवमार्गेण संपूज्यो भगवानिह / किं तत् सेव्यमसेव्यं वा सर्वमेतद् ब्रवीहि नः
kena vā devamārgeṇa saṃpūjyo bhagavāniha / kiṃ tat sevyamasevyaṃ vā sarvametad bravīhi naḥ
Dengan jalan ilahi yang mana Sang Bhagavān patut dipuja dengan sempurna di sini? Apa yang harus diikuti dan apa yang harus dihindari—jelaskan semuanya kepada kami.
Sages/disciples (inquiring interlocutors) addressing Lord Kurma (Vishnu) for instruction on dharma and worship
Primary Rasa: shanta
FAQs
It frames the Supreme as “Bhagavān,” the worship-worthy Lord, and shifts the focus to the correct path (devamārga) and ethical discernment (sevya/asevya), implying that realization and devotion require right method and right conduct rather than mere ritualism.
The verse itself is an inquiry, not a practice-description: it asks for the authoritative “divine path” to worship and the discipline of choosing what is to be practiced vs. avoided—foundational to Kurma Purana’s yoga-oriented instruction (restraint, observances, and scripturally guided sādhana).
By addressing the Supreme as “Bhagavān” and asking for the universal “devamārga,” it aligns with the Kurma Purana’s non-sectarian synthesis: the right path of worship and conduct is presented as one coherent dharma, compatible with Shaiva–Vaishnava unity taught elsewhere in the text.