Devadāru (Dāruvana) Forest: The Delusion of Ritual Pride, the Liṅga Crisis, and the Teaching of Jñāna–Pāśupata Yoga
वीतरागभयक्रोधा मन्मया मामुपाश्रिताः / बहवो ऽनेन योगेन पूता मद्भावमागताः
vītarāgabhayakrodhā manmayā māmupāśritāḥ / bahavo 'nena yogena pūtā madbhāvamāgatāḥ
ಆಸಕ್ತಿ, ಭಯ, ಕ್ರೋಧಗಳಿಂದ ಮುಕ್ತರಾಗಿ—ನನ್ನಲ್ಲೇ ತದಾತ್ಮರಾಗಿದ್ದು ನನ್ನ ಶರಣಾಗತರು—ಅನೇಕರೂ ಈ ಯೋಗದಿಂದ ಶುದ್ಧರಾಗಿ ನನ್ನ ಭಾವ, ಅಂದರೆ ನನ್ನ ಸ್ವರೂಪಸ್ಥಿತಿಯನ್ನು, ಪಡೆದಿದ್ದಾರೆ.
Lord Kurma (Vishnu) teaching the Ishvara Gita doctrine
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
It frames liberation as “mad-bhāva”—attaining the Lord’s own nature—through inner purification and absorption in the Supreme, indicating a transformative participation in divine being rather than mere external merit.
The verse emphasizes a Yoga of refuge (upāśraya), single-pointed God-absorption (manmayatā), and purification through removal of rāga (attachment), bhaya (fear), and krodha (anger)—a bhakti-infused discipline aligned with Kurma Purana’s Pashupata-oriented soteriology.
By presenting “Ishvara-Yoga” as the means to attain the Lord’s state, the Kurma Purana supports a non-sectarian synthesis: the Supreme (Ishvara) is approached through Yoga and devotion beyond rivalry, harmonizing Shaiva-Pashupata discipline with Vaishnava refuge in Vishnu (Kurma).