Kurma Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 3
Devī-tattva, Śakti–Śaktimān doctrine, Kāla–Māyā cosmology, and Māheśvara Yoga instruction
अर्धनारीनरवपुः दुष्प्रेक्ष्यो ऽतिभयङ्करः / विभजात्मानमित्युक्त्वा ब्रह्मा चान्तर्दधे भयात्
ardhanārīnaravapuḥ duṣprekṣyo 'tibhayaṅkaraḥ / vibhajātmānamityuktvā brahmā cāntardadhe bhayāt
Dengan rupa separuh wanita separuh lelaki, sukar dipandang dan amat menggerunkan, baginda bersabda, “Bahagikan dirimu.” Lalu Brahmā, kerana takut, lenyap dari pandangan.
Narrator (Purāṇic narrator describing Brahmā’s encounter with a terrifying Ardhanārī form, implying a Rudra/Śiva-tattva manifestation)
Primary Rasa: bhayanaka
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
FAQs
By presenting a single being that contains both male and female aspects, the verse hints at a unitary reality that can manifest as differentiated forms; the command “divide yourself” points to emanation from an undivided source into plurality.
No direct yogic technique is taught in this verse; its contribution is doctrinal—showing awe before the higher tattva. In the Kurma Purana’s broader Shaiva-Vaishnava synthesis, such awe (bhaya mixed with reverence) supports humility and surrender, which become prerequisites for disciplined sādhanā like Pāśupata-oriented devotion and restraint.
Through the Ardhanārī motif (classically associated with Śiva) within a Purāṇic framework that later emphasizes synthesis, the verse supports the idea that supreme divinity can appear in multiple theological idioms—Śaiva and Vaiṣṇava—without contradiction, as manifestations of one overarching reality.