Kurma Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 57
Madhu–Kaiṭabha, Nārāyaṇa’s Yoga-Nidrā, Rudra’s Manifestation, and the Aṣṭamūrti–Trimūrti Teaching
यस्य द्यौरभवन्मूर्धा पादौ पृथ्वी दिशो भुजाः / आकाशमुदरं तस्मै विराजे प्रणमाम्यहम्
yasya dyaurabhavanmūrdhā pādau pṛthvī diśo bhujāḥ / ākāśamudaraṃ tasmai virāje praṇamāmyaham
我はヴィラージ（Virāj）—宇宙の人に礼拝する。天を頭とし、地を足とし、方位を腕とし、広大な虚空を腹とする御方に。
Narrator/reciter within the Purva-bhaga’s devotional discourse (a hymn-like salutation to Virāj)
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: vira
FAQs
By presenting Virāj as the universe-bodied reality, the verse points to a non-sectarian Absolute whose immanence pervades heaven, earth, space, and the directions—suggesting the Self as the all-encompassing ground of the cosmos.
It supports a dhyāna practice of viśvarūpa-upāsanā (meditation on the cosmic form): mentally mapping the cosmos onto the Lord’s limbs to stabilize attention, dissolve ego-boundaries, and cultivate reverence—compatible with Pāśupata-leaning contemplation in the Kūrma tradition.
By worshiping the cosmic Virāj rather than a narrow sectarian form, it aligns with the Purana’s synthesis: the Supreme can be approached as Hari or Hara, while the underlying reality is one and all-pervading.