Kurma Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 68
Cosmic Manifestation, Mahāmāyā’s Mandate, Varṇāśrama-Dharma, and the Unity of the Trimūrti
अष्टाशीतिसहस्त्राणामृषीणामूर्ध्वरेतसाम् / स्मृतं तेषां तु यत्स्थानं तदेव गुरुवासिनाम्
aṣṭāśītisahastrāṇāmṛṣīṇāmūrdhvaretasām / smṛtaṃ teṣāṃ tu yatsthānaṃ tadeva guruvāsinām
八万八千のリシ—精を守り、生命の力を上へと昇らせる者—に記憶される住処は、師のもとに住み、師に仕える者の住処とまさに同一である。
Sūta (narrator) recounting the Purāṇic tradition to the sages (Naimiṣāraṇya framing)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
FAQs
Indirectly, it points to inner ascent: the “upward-moving vital energy” of the ūrdhvaretas sage symbolizes mastery over desire and inwardness—conditions traditionally held to steady the mind for realizing the ātman.
It emphasizes brahmacarya (continence), sense-restraint, and disciplined residence with the guru (guruvāsa). In Yoga-shāstra terms, these support yama-niyama, stabilize prāṇa, and prepare the practitioner for dhyāna.
The verse is non-sectarian in tone: it locates spiritual authority in disciplined practice and guru-service rather than in sect identity, aligning with the Kurma Purana’s broader Shaiva–Vaishnava synthesis.