Kurma Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 35
Dakṣa’s Progeny, Nṛsiṃha–Varāha Avatāras, and Andhaka’s Defeat
Hari–Hara–Śakti Synthesis
निशम्य वैष्णवं वाक्यं प्रणम्य पुरुषोत्तमम् / महापुरुषमव्यक्तं ययौ दैत्यमहापुरम्
niśamya vaiṣṇavaṃ vākyaṃ praṇamya puruṣottamam / mahāpuruṣamavyaktaṃ yayau daityamahāpuram
Setelah mendengar titah Vaiṣṇava itu, dia bersujud kepada Puruṣottama—Mahāpuruṣa yang Tak Termanifest (Avyakta)—lalu berangkat menuju kota agung kaum Daitya.
Sūta (narrator) describing the action within the Purāṇic narrative
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: vira
FAQs
By calling the Lord both “Puruṣottama/Mahāpuruṣa” and “Avyakta,” the verse presents the Supreme as personal (worthy of reverence) and also transcendent, beyond manifest forms—pointing to the ultimate reality that underlies all appearance.
The verse emphasizes a foundational discipline aligned with Purāṇic yoga: śravaṇa (receptive hearing of sacred teaching) followed by namaskāra (humble surrender). This devotional posture supports inner purification that later matures into steadier yogic practice in the Kurma Purana’s broader teaching arc.
Though explicitly Vaiṣṇava in wording, the theology uses universal, metaphysical titles like “Avyakta,” a shared Upaniṣadic register that the Kurma Purana often employs to harmonize sectarian devotion with a non-dual, all-encompassing Supreme—supporting its Shaiva-Vaishnava synthesis.