Adhyāya 25 — Liṅga-māhātmya (The Chapter on the Liṅga): Hari’s Śiva-Worship and the Fiery Pillar Theophany
श्रीभगवानुवाच भवता कथितं सर्वं तथ्यमेव न संशयः / तथापि देवमीशानं पूजयामि सनातनम्
śrībhagavānuvāca bhavatā kathitaṃ sarvaṃ tathyameva na saṃśayaḥ / tathāpi devamīśānaṃ pūjayāmi sanātanam
Tuhan Yang Maha Mulia bersabda: “Segala yang engkau katakan itu benar belaka, tiada keraguan. Namun demikian, aku tetap memuja dewa Īśāna, Yang Kekal.”
Śrī Bhagavān (Lord Kurma/Vishnu speaking in the Kurma Purana narrative voice)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
By having the Lord affirm truth and still worship Īśāna, the verse implies a single supreme principle (Īśvara) honored through different divine forms—supporting a non-sectarian, unity-based view of the Self and Lordship.
The verse emphasizes pūjā (devotional worship) as a valid spiritual discipline: a bhakti-oriented approach that, in the Kurma Purana’s Pashupata-leaning framework, complements yogic restraint and contemplation by centering the mind on Īśvara.
Vishnu (as the speaking Lord) explicitly worships Īśāna (Shiva), signaling reverence and theological harmony—an emblem of the Kurma Purana’s Shaiva-Vaishnava synthesis rather than sectarian rivalry.