Kurma Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 114
Invocation, Purāṇa Lakṣaṇas, Kurma at the Samudra-manthana, and Indradyumna’s Liberation Teaching
Iśvara-Gītā Prelude
हिरण्यगर्भो भगवान् यत्रास्ते हव्यकव्यभुक् / द्वारं तद् योगिनामाद्यं वेदान्तेषु प्रतिष्ठितम् / ब्रह्मतेजोमयं श्रीमन्निष्ठा चैव मनीषिणाम्
hiraṇyagarbho bhagavān yatrāste havyakavyabhuk / dvāraṃ tad yogināmādyaṃ vedānteṣu pratiṣṭhitam / brahmatejomayaṃ śrīmanniṣṭhā caiva manīṣiṇām
जिथे भगवान् हिरण्यगर्भ—हव्य व कव्य यांचा भोक्ता—विराजमान आहे, तेच योगिनांचे आद्य द्वार, वेदान्तात प्रतिष्ठित आहे। ते ब्रह्मतेजोमय, श्रीमंत, आणि मनीषीजनांची निष्ठा आहे।
Lord Kūrma (Viṣṇu) teaching in the Īśvara-gītā context
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
FAQs
It points to the Lord as Hiraṇyagarbha whose abode is “brahma-tejas”—the radiance of Brahman—indicating that the yogic entry-point is ultimately grounded in non-dual Vedāntic realization rather than mere ritual identity.
The verse emphasizes the “dvāra” (gateway) of yoga as Vedānta-established: contemplative inquiry and absorption oriented to Brahman (brahma-tejas), integrating inner realization with the sacrificial order the Lord sustains (havya/kavya).
By presenting the Supreme as the Vedāntic ground of yoga and the receiver of all sacred offerings, it supports the Kurma Purana’s synthetic stance: the one Īśvara—worshipped through Śaiva or Vaiṣṇava forms—remains the same Brahman-radiant reality.