Shloka 32
Divine Abodes on the Mountains — A Sacred Survey of Jambūdvīpa
Kailāsa to Siddha Realms
तत्र सा परमा शक्तिर्विष्णोरतिमनोरमा / अनन्तविभवा लक्ष्मीर्जगत्संमोहनोत्सुका
tatra sā paramā śaktirviṣṇoratimanoramā / anantavibhavā lakṣmīrjagatsaṃmohanotsukā
Di sana berdiri Śakti tertinggi Viṣṇu yang amat mempesona—Lakṣmī, berwibawa tanpa batas—dengan hasrat untuk memukau dan menawan segala alam.
Narrator (Purāṇic voice, within the Kurma Purana’s discourse on Śrī as Viṣṇu’s śakti)
Primary Rasa: shringara
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
FAQs
By presenting Lakṣmī as Viṣṇu’s “paramā śakti,” the verse implies that the Lord’s transcendence is accompanied by an operative divine power through which the cosmos appears and is experienced—Atman remains the ground, while śakti governs manifestation and perception.
The verse points to the need for yogic discernment (viveka) against “jagat-saṃmohana” (world-enchantment). In Kurma Purana’s spiritual frame, steadiness of mind, devotion to Īśvara, and discrimination between the eternal and the transient counteract the captivating pull of prosperity and appearance.
Though Viṣṇu is named, the teaching aligns with the Purana’s synthesis: the supreme Lord operates through śakti, a principle equally emphasized in Śaiva-Pāśupata and Vaiṣṇava theology—divinity is one, expressed through power that governs the world’s enchantment.