Shloka 62
Adhyāya 25 — Liṅga-māhātmya (The Chapter on the Liṅga): Hari’s Śiva-Worship and the Fiery Pillar Theophany
मार्कण्डेय उवाच किं तल्लिङ्गं सुरश्रेष्ठ लिङ्गे संपूज्यते च कः / ब्रूहि कृष्ण विशालाक्ष गहनं ह्येतदुत्तमम्
mārkaṇḍeya uvāca kiṃ talliṅgaṃ suraśreṣṭha liṅge saṃpūjyate ca kaḥ / brūhi kṛṣṇa viśālākṣa gahanaṃ hyetaduttamam
Mārkaṇḍeya berkata: “Wahai yang terbaik antara para dewa, apakah sebenarnya Liṅga itu? Dan siapakah yang dipuja dengan penuh penghormatan di dalam Liṅga? Terangkanlah kepadaku, wahai Kṛṣṇa bermata luas—perkara tertinggi ini sungguh mendalam.”
Markandeya
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
FAQs
Indirectly, by treating the Liṅga as a “profound and supreme” subject: the verse frames the Liṅga not as a mere object, but as a subtle locus of the highest reality worthy of inquiry—hinting at a deeper, transcendent referent beyond form.
No specific technique is prescribed in this verse; instead it establishes the prerequisite of right inquiry (jijñāsā) into the object of worship—an essential foundation for disciplined worship and contemplative understanding in the Kurma Purana’s Shaiva-Vaishnava synthesis.
By having Markandeya ask Krishna (Vishnu) to explain the Liṅga, it positions Vishnu as an authoritative revealer of Liṅga-tattva—supporting the Purana’s harmonizing approach where Shiva-symbolism and Vishnu-guidance are mutually affirming rather than opposed.