Kurma Purana — Uttara Bhaga, Shloka 28
Commencement of the Upari-bhāga: The Sages Request Brahma-vidyā; Vyāsa Recalls the Badarikā Inquiry and Śiva–Viṣṇu Theophany
एवमुक्ते तु मुनयः प्रापश्यन् पुरुषोत्तमम् / विहाय तापसं रूपं संस्थितं स्वेन तेजसा
evamukte tu munayaḥ prāpaśyan puruṣottamam / vihāya tāpasaṃ rūpaṃ saṃsthitaṃ svena tejasā
かく語られるや、牟尼たちはプルショーत्तマ（至上の御方）を拝した。苦行者の姿を脱ぎ捨て、御自らの光明により顕現して立っておられた。
Narrator (Sūta/Vyāsa tradition) describing the epiphany of Puruṣottama to the sages
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
FAQs
It presents the Supreme as self-luminous—revealed not by external marks but by His own tejas—suggesting the Atman/Iśvara as intrinsically radiant and self-established.
The verse implies a yogic fruition: through tapas and disciplined perception, the sages attain darśana (direct vision). The shift from an outer “ascetic form” to inner radiance echoes the yogic movement from symbols to direct realization.
By emphasizing Puruṣottama’s transcendent, self-radiant nature beyond temporary guises, it supports the Kurma Purana’s integrative stance: the Supreme can be approached through multiple sectarian idioms (Śaiva/Pāśupata or Vaiṣṇava) while remaining one reality.