Kurma Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 3
Tāmasa Sarga, the Androgynous Division of Brahmā, and the Lineages of Dharma and Adharma
अथात्मनि समद्राक्षीत् तमोमात्रां नियामिकाम् / रजः सत्त्वं च संवृत्य वर्तमानां स्वधर्मतः
athātmani samadrākṣīt tamomātrāṃ niyāmikām / rajaḥ sattvaṃ ca saṃvṛtya vartamānāṃ svadharmataḥ
បន្ទាប់មក ទ្រង់បានឃើញនៅក្នុងអាត្មា នូវគោលការណ៍គ្រប់គ្រងដែលបង្កប់ដោយតាមស៍តែមួយ—ដែលបាំងបិទទាំងរាជស៍ និងសត្តវៈ—តែបន្តដំណើរការតាមធម្មជាតិផ្ទាល់របស់វា។
Lord Kurma (Vishnu) instructing on Self-knowledge in the Ishvara Gita context
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
FAQs
It frames the inner vision as seeing how the gunas function in relation to the Self: tamas appears as a veiling, regulating force, while the Self remains the locus of discernment that can witness these coverings.
The verse implies antar-darśana (inner contemplation): sustained meditation that discriminates the guna-based coverings—especially tamas that obscures clarity—so the practitioner can pursue sattva and transcend even sattva through higher knowledge.
By teaching a shared yogic-metaphysical framework (gunas, inner witness, and liberation through knowledge), the Ishvara Gita voice attributed to Lord Kurma aligns with Shaiva yogic terminology, reflecting the Kurma Purana’s non-sectarian synthesis rather than rivalry.