Kurma Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 10
Virocana–Bali, Aditi’s Tapas, and the Vāmana–Trivikrama Episode
सो ऽब्रवीद् भगवान् योगी दैत्येन्द्राय महात्मने / सर्वगुह्यतमं धर्ममात्मज्ञानमनुत्तमम्
so 'bravīd bhagavān yogī daityendrāya mahātmane / sarvaguhyatamaṃ dharmamātmajñānamanuttamam
तेव्हा भगवान योगी महात्मा दैत्येंद्राला म्हणाले— “मी तुला सर्वांत गूढ असा परम धर्म सांगतो: आत्मज्ञान, जे अनुत्तम आहे।”
Bhagavan (Lord Kurma/Vishnu as the Yogin teacher)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
FAQs
It frames Ātma-jñāna (Self-knowledge) as the highest, unsurpassed teaching—described as the most secret essence of Dharma—implying liberation comes through direct realization of the Self rather than mere external observances.
This verse is an introductory marker: the Lord as “Yogin” signals that the forthcoming instruction is yogic and contemplative—centered on inner realization (ātma-jñāna) as the core of practice, aligning with Purāṇic yoga-shāstra themes of concentration, discernment, and liberation.
By presenting the Supreme as “Bhagavān Yogī” teaching the secret of liberation, it supports the Kurma Purana’s non-sectarian synthesis: the one supreme reality is approached through yogic Self-knowledge, a shared soteriology across Shaiva (yoga/gnosis) and Vaishnava (Bhagavan-centered) frameworks.