Shloka 45
Commencement of the Upari-bhāga: The Sages Request Brahma-vidyā; Vyāsa Recalls the Badarikā Inquiry and Śiva–Viṣṇu Theophany
निशम्य विष्णुवचनं प्रणम्य वृषभध्वजम् / सनत्कुमारप्रमुखाः पृच्छन्ति स्म महेश्वरम्
niśamya viṣṇuvacanaṃ praṇamya vṛṣabhadhvajam / sanatkumārapramukhāḥ pṛcchanti sma maheśvaram
ヴィシュヌの御言葉を聞き、牡牛の旗を戴くヴリシャバドヴァジャ（シヴァ）に礼拝して、サナトクマーラをはじめとする最勝の聖仙たちは、マヘーシュヴァラに問いを発した。
Suta (narrator) describing the sages’ action; the next discourse is prompted toward Shiva (Maheshvara).
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
FAQs
Indirectly: it frames the Ishvara-centered inquiry—after hearing Viṣṇu, the sages turn to Mahēśvara, signaling the Purana’s non-sectarian approach where realization of the Supreme is pursued through disciplined questioning and devotion to Īśvara.
The verse sets the stage for Pāśupata-oriented instruction: the sages first perform praṇāma (humble surrender) and then engage in śāstric inquiry (praśna). In the Kurma Purana’s Ishvara Gita context, this becomes the doorway to yogic discipline, inner restraint, and contemplation taught by Śiva.
By sequencing: the sages hear Viṣṇu’s words and then bow to Śiva to receive teaching, reflecting the Kurma Purana’s Shaiva–Vaishnava synthesis—both deities function as authoritative gateways to the same supreme truth.