Shloka 16
Sūrya’s Celestial Car: Ādityas, Ṛṣis, Gandharvas, Apsarases, Nāgas, and the Two-Month Cosmic Cycle
ताण्डवैर्विविधैरेनं वसन्तादिषु वै क्रमात् / तोषयन्ति महादेवं भानुमात्मानमव्ययम्
tāṇḍavairvividhairenaṃ vasantādiṣu vai kramāt / toṣayanti mahādevaṃ bhānumātmānamavyayam
Dengan pelbagai tarian tāṇḍava, menurut tertib musim bermula dari musim bunga, mereka menggembirakan Mahādeva—Dia sendiri ialah Bhānu (Surya), Ātman yang tidak binasa.
Narrator (Purana-vakta, in the Kurma Purana’s ongoing discourse)
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: vira
FAQs
It identifies Mahādeva not merely as a deity to be pleased, but as the imperishable Ātman itself—unchanging consciousness—also expressed as Bhānu, the universal radiance sustaining life.
The verse emphasizes disciplined, time-ordered devotion (kramāt) aligned with seasonal dharma; such regulated worship supports inner steadiness akin to yogic niyama and one-pointed bhakti, a preparatory ground for Pāśupata-oriented contemplation of Śiva as the Self.
By presenting Mahādeva as the imperishable Ātman and cosmic Bhānu, the text uses a non-sectarian, non-dual register typical of the Kurma Purana—where the Supreme is approached through Śiva-devotion while remaining compatible with Vaiṣṇava understandings of the one Self.