Kurma Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 17
Devī-tattva, Śakti–Śaktimān doctrine, Kāla–Māyā cosmology, and Māheśvara Yoga instruction
ऋषय ऊचुः कैषा भगवती देवी शङ्करार्धशरीरिणी / शिवा सती हैमवती यथावद् ब्रूहि पृच्छताम्
ṛṣaya ūcuḥ kaiṣā bhagavatī devī śaṅkarārdhaśarīriṇī / śivā satī haimavatī yathāvad brūhi pṛcchatām
ऋषी म्हणाले—शंकराच्या अर्धशरीरिणी, शिवा, सती व हैमवती म्हणून प्रसिद्ध अशी ती भगवती देवी कोण आहे? आम्ही विचारतो, यथार्थपणे सांगा।
The sages (Ṛṣis)
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
FAQs
Indirectly: by asking about the Goddess as Śaṅkara’s half-body, the verse points to non-separateness—Śiva and Śakti as one reality—hinting that ultimate truth is a unified principle rather than competing divinities.
No specific practice is prescribed in this verse; it establishes the doctrinal basis for later sādhana by seeking correct knowledge (yathāvat-jñāna) of Devī-tattva, which supports Shaiva disciplines such as Pāśupata-oriented devotion, mantra, and contemplation on Śiva–Śakti unity.
By foregrounding Śiva–Śakti unity (Ardhanārī), it aligns with the Kurma Purana’s broader synthetic tone where sectarian forms are interpreted as complementary manifestations—supporting a non-rival, integrative theology that later accommodates Hari–Hara harmony.