Kurma Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 41
Dakṣa’s Progeny, Nṛsiṃha–Varāha Avatāras, and Andhaka’s Defeat
Hari–Hara–Śakti Synthesis
दुद्रुवुः केचिदन्योन्ममूचुः संभ्रान्तलोचनाः / अयं स देवो देवानां गोप्ता नारायणो रिपुः
dudruvuḥ kecidanyonmamūcuḥ saṃbhrāntalocanāḥ / ayaṃ sa devo devānāṃ goptā nārāyaṇo ripuḥ
काही जण पळून गेले, तर काही घाबरलेल्या नजरेने गोंधळून ओरडले—“हा तोच देव—नारायण—देवतांचा रक्षक आणि शत्रूंचा शत्रु!”
The devas (gods) / divine onlookers reacting in fear and recognition (narrative report by the Purana’s storyteller).
Primary Rasa: bhayanaka
Secondary Rasa: vira
FAQs
By naming Nārāyaṇa as the “protector of the gods,” the verse points to a supreme sustaining principle that safeguards cosmic order (dharma); this protective lordship is a functional expression of the highest reality governing the universe.
No specific technique is taught in this line; instead it supplies the devotional-theological ground for yoga—turning the mind from panic and dispersion toward a single refuge (Nārāyaṇa) as protector, a prerequisite for steadiness (ekāgratā) in practice.
Though Vishnu is explicitly named as Nārāyaṇa, the Kurma Purana’s broader Shaiva–Vaishnava synthesis frames such divine protection as a manifestation of the one supreme lord (Īśvara) revered through multiple forms, avoiding sectarian separation.