Kurma Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 2
Dvīpa-Varṣa Vibhāga and the Priyavrata–Agnīdhra Lineage
Cosmic Geography and Royal Succession
ऋषय ऊचुः कथितो भवता सूत सर्गः स्वयंभुवः शुभः / इदानीं श्रोतुमिच्छामस्त्रिलोकस्यास्य मण्डलम्
ṛṣaya ūcuḥ kathito bhavatā sūta sargaḥ svayaṃbhuvaḥ śubhaḥ / idānīṃ śrotumicchāmastrilokasyāsya maṇḍalam
Para resi berkata: “Wahai Sūta, engkau telah menghuraikan penciptaan yang suci dan bertuah, yang lahir sendiri (Svayambhū). Kini kami ingin mendengar tentang mandala—susun atur kosmik—bagi tiga alam ini.”
The sages (ṛṣis), addressing Sūta
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
FAQs
This verse does not directly define Ātman; it frames a transition from the account of primordial creation to the ordered structure of the cosmos, implying a purāṇic method where metaphysics is taught through cosmology and sacred order.
No explicit yoga practice is taught in this verse; it sets up a cosmological teaching (triloka-maṇḍala) that later supports dharma and contemplation by presenting the universe as an intelligible, sacred mandala suitable for reflective understanding.
It does not mention Śiva or Viṣṇu explicitly; however, the request for the ‘mandala of the three worlds’ aligns with the Kurma Purana’s broader integrative vision where cosmic order is a shared theological ground for both Śaiva and Vaiṣṇava teachings.