Kurma Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 5
Meru-Topography: Cities of Brahmā and the Dikpālas; Descent of Gaṅgā; Varṣa-Lotus and Boundary Mountains
तत्र देवादिदेवस्य शंभोरमिततेजसः / दीप्तमायतनं शुभ्रं पुरस्ताद् ब्रह्मणः स्थितम्
tatra devādidevasya śaṃbhoramitatejasaḥ / dīptamāyatanaṃ śubhraṃ purastād brahmaṇaḥ sthitam
Di sana, di hadapan Brahmā, berdiri tempat suci Śambhu—Dewa segala dewa—yang bercahaya gemilang, putih suci, dengan sinar kemuliaan yang tiada terhingga.
Narrator (Purāṇic narrator, traditionally Sūta/authorial voice) describing the scene
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
FAQs
By portraying Śambhu as “devādideva” with “immeasurable splendor,” the verse points to a transcendent, supra-cosmic principle whose radiance exceeds created hierarchies (even Brahmā’s), echoing the Purāṇic identification of the supreme reality with the Lord’s limitless consciousness.
No specific technique is prescribed in this line; instead it establishes a contemplative support (ālambana) for meditation—visualizing the pure, radiant āyatana of Śambhu—consistent with Purāṇic bhakti-yoga and Shaiva contemplations that steady the mind on the Lord’s luminous presence.
While Vishnu is not named here, the Kurma Purana’s broader Shaiva-Vaishnava synthesis frames such descriptions of Śambhu’s supreme radiance as compatible with the Purāṇic non-sectarian view: the highest divinity is one, revered through Śiva (Śambhu) and also taught elsewhere through Vishnu/Kūrma.