Kurma Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 1
Cosmic Realms Above Dhruva, the Pātālas Below, and the Foundation of Pralaya
Ananta–Kāla
इति श्रीकूर्मपुराणे षट्साहस्त्र्यां संहितायां पूर्वविभागे एकचत्वारिंशो ऽध्यायः सूत उवाच ध्रुवादूर्ध्वं महर्लोकः कोटियोजनविस्तृतः / कल्पाधिकारिणस्तत्र संस्थिता द्विजपुङ्गवाः
iti śrīkūrmapurāṇe ṣaṭsāhastryāṃ saṃhitāyāṃ pūrvavibhāge ekacatvāriṃśo 'dhyāyaḥ sūta uvāca dhruvādūrdhvaṃ maharlokaḥ koṭiyojanavistṛtaḥ / kalpādhikāriṇastatra saṃsthitā dvijapuṅgavāḥ
Demikianlah, dalam Śrī Kūrma Purāṇa, Saṃhitā enam ribu śloka, bahagian Pūrva-bhāga, tamatlah bab keempat puluh satu. Sūta berkata: Di atas Dhruva terletak Maharloka, seluas satu koṭi yojana. Di sana bersemayam para resi dwija yang paling utama, para pemegang amanah atas putaran kalpa-kalpa penciptaan.
Suta
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
FAQs
Indirectly: by mapping higher lokas like Maharloka, the verse frames the Purāṇic cosmos as an ordered field of experience within which the Self remains the inner witness; the lokas describe realms of beings, not the ultimate Atman itself.
No specific technique is taught in this verse; it emphasizes the presence of accomplished dvija-sages in Maharloka, implying advanced tapas, dhyāna, and Vedic discipline that qualify beings to function as kalpa-adhikārins.
It does not explicitly discuss Śiva–Viṣṇu unity; it supports the Kurma Purāṇa’s broader synthesis by situating cosmic administration (kalpas, lokas, sages) within a single sacred order that later teachings attribute to the one Supreme Lord in different forms.