Kurma Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 14
Incarnations of Mahādeva in Kali-yuga (Vaivasvata Manvantara) and the Nakulīśa Horizon
सुमुखो दुर्मुखश्चैव दुर्दमो दुरतिक्रमः / सनः सनातनश्चैव मुकारश्च सनन्दनः
sumukho durmukhaścaiva durdamo duratikramaḥ / sanaḥ sanātanaścaiva mukāraśca sanandanaḥ
Dia ialah “Wajah Mulia” (Sumukha), dan juga “Wajah Dahsyat” (Durmukha); “Yang Tak Dapat Ditundukkan” (Durdama) dan “Yang Tak Dapat Dilanggar” (Duratikrama). Dia ialah Sana dan Sanātana, Yang Kekal; Dia ialah suku kata suci “Mu”, dan juga Sanandana.
Traditional narrator within the Purana presenting the Lord’s names (Sahasranama style), ultimately referring to Lord Kurma/Vishnu as the Supreme
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
FAQs
By pairing opposites—auspicious and fearsome, gentle and unrestrainable—the verse implies the Supreme is beyond limited human categories, encompassing all powers while remaining eternal (sanātana) and unsurpassable (duratikrama).
The verse supports nāma-smaraṇa and mantra-oriented contemplation: meditating on divine names and seed-sounds (like “mukāra”) to steady the mind and recognize the Lord as the inner, timeless reality.
Though framed as names of Vishnu/Kurma, the theology is synthetic: the Supreme is described as all-encompassing and beyond form-limits, aligning with Purāṇic non-dual devotion where sectarian distinctions (Śaiva/Vaiṣṇava) are harmonized in one Ishvara.