Kurma Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 15
Genealogies from Dakṣa’s Daughters: Ṛṣi Lines, Agni-Forms, Pitṛ Classes, and the Transition to Manu’s Progeny
पावकः पवमानश्च शुचिरग्निश्च ते त्रयः / निर्मथ्यः पवमानः स्याद् वैद्युतः पावकः स्मृतः
pāvakaḥ pavamānaśca śuciragniśca te trayaḥ / nirmathyaḥ pavamānaḥ syād vaidyutaḥ pāvakaḥ smṛtaḥ
Pāvaka, Pavamāna dan Śuci—itulah tiga rupa Agni. Antaranya, api yang terbit daripada gesekan (api araṇi) dinamai Pavamāna, manakala api yang lahir daripada kilat diingati sebagai Pāvaka.
Sūta (narrator) conveying the Purāṇic teaching to the assembled sages (Naimiṣāraṇya frame)
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
FAQs
Indirectly: by classifying Agni into distinct operational forms (churned fire, lightning-fire, and the pure/bright fire), the verse reflects the Purāṇic method of describing one sacred principle through multiple manifestations—analogous to how the one Ātman is spoken of through many functions and names in śāstra.
No direct yoga technique is taught in this verse; its practical emphasis is ritual and cosmological. Still, in Kurma Purana’s broader discipline, Agni represents inner tapas (austerity) and purification—supporting meditative steadiness through śauca (purity) and disciplined karmic offerings.
It does not explicitly name Śiva or Viṣṇu, but it supports the Kurma Purana’s integrative theology: Agni as a single sacred power appears in multiple modes, mirroring the text’s larger tendency to present divine unity expressed through different deities and functions.