Kurma Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 98
Invocation, Purāṇa Lakṣaṇas, Kurma at the Samudra-manthana, and Indradyumna’s Liberation Teaching
Iśvara-Gītā Prelude
तीर्थान्यर्कादिसंस्थानं पृथिव्यायामविस्तरे / कति द्वीपाः समुद्राश्च पर्वताश्च नदीनदाः / ब्रूहि मे पुण्डरीकाक्ष यथावदधुनाखिलम्
tīrthānyarkādisaṃsthānaṃ pṛthivyāyāmavistare / kati dvīpāḥ samudrāśca parvatāśca nadīnadāḥ / brūhi me puṇḍarīkākṣa yathāvadadhunākhilam
“Wahai Tuhan Bermata Teratai, jelaskan kepadaku dengan lengkap tentang tempat-tempat ziarah suci (tīrtha) serta susunan Matahari dan segala benda langit yang lain. Dan di hamparan bumi yang luas ini—berapa banyak benua, lautan, gunung-ganang, sungai dan anak sungai? Terangkanlah semuanya kepadaku dengan tepat, di sini dan sekarang.”
King Indradyumna (questioning Lord Kurma/Vishnu)
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
FAQs
This verse does not directly define Ātman; it frames a devotional inquiry to the Lotus-eyed Lord, implying that true knowledge—cosmic and earthly—becomes reliable when received from the Supreme source who underlies both the cosmos and dharma.
No specific yoga technique is taught in this verse; the practice implied is śravaṇa (reverent listening) and right inquiry (jijñāsā) directed to Īśvara, which the Kurma Purana later integrates with disciplined paths like Pāśupata-oriented devotion and dharmic observance.
While Shiva is not named here, the verse reflects the Purana’s harmonizing method: authoritative cosmological and tirtha knowledge is sought from Vishnu/Kūrma, within a text that elsewhere presents Shaiva and Vaishnava teachings as mutually supportive rather than opposed.