Kurma Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 23
Sūrya-vaṃśa Genealogy and the Supremacy of Tapas: Gāyatrī-Japa, Rudra-Darśana, and Śatarudrīya Upadeśa
कृत्वा तु वारुणीमिष्टिमृषीणां वै प्रसादतः / लेभे त्वप्रतिमं पुत्रं विष्णुभक्तमनुत्तमम् / मान्धातारं महाप्राज्ञं सर्वशस्त्रभृतां वरम्
kṛtvā tu vāruṇīmiṣṭimṛṣīṇāṃ vai prasādataḥ / lebhe tvapratimaṃ putraṃ viṣṇubhaktamanuttamam / māndhātāraṃ mahāprājñaṃ sarvaśastrabhṛtāṃ varam
Kemudian, setelah melaksanakan upacara korban Vāruṇī, dengan rahmat para ṛṣi, baginda memperoleh seorang putera yang tiada bandingan—Māndhātṛ—yang tertinggi antara para bhakta Viṣṇu, amat bijaksana, dan yang terunggul dalam kalangan semua pemegang senjata.
Sūta (narrator) recounting the lineage and results of ritual performed under ṛṣi guidance
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
FAQs
Indirectly: it emphasizes that spiritual excellence is grounded in divine orientation (Viṣṇu-bhakti) and ṛṣi-prasāda; the verse highlights grace and devotion as causes of inner greatness, rather than giving a direct ātman-definition.
No specific yoga technique is taught in this śloka; instead it foregrounds dharmic means—Vedic iṣṭi performed correctly under sages—showing the Purāṇic ideal that inner power and virtue arise from disciplined ritual, devotion, and guidance.
This verse is explicitly Vaiṣṇava (praising Viṣṇu-bhakti) while retaining a broader Kurma Purana framework where dharma, ritual authority of ṛṣis, and devotion function harmoniously—supporting the text’s larger Shaiva–Vaishnava synthesis without making a direct Śiva–Viṣṇu identity statement here.