Kurma Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 35
Incarnations of Mahādeva in Kali-yuga (Vaivasvata Manvantara) and the Nakulīśa Horizon
नमो देवादिदेवाय देवानां परमात्मने / पुरुषाय पुराणाय विष्णवे कूर्मरूपिणे
namo devādidevāya devānāṃ paramātmane / puruṣāya purāṇāya viṣṇave kūrmarūpiṇe
Sembah sujud kepada Dewa segala dewa, Ātman Tertinggi bagi para dewa; kepada Puruṣa yang mula-mula, Yang Purba—kepada Viṣṇu yang mengambil rupa Kūrma, Sang Kura-kura suci.
A devotee/sage offering a stuti (contextually within the Purva-bhaga praise section to Lord Kurma-Vishnu)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
FAQs
By calling Viṣṇu the “paramātmā” of the gods, the verse presents him as the inner Self and highest reality that grounds even the celestial powers, not merely as one deity among others.
This verse functions as mantra-like stuti for dhyāna and japa: fixing the mind on the Supreme Puruṣa as Paramātman. In the Kurma Purana’s broader spiritual frame, such remembrance supports inner purification that complements Pāśupata-style discipline and devotion.
Though Śiva is not named here, the verse’s Paramātman/Puruṣa language aligns with the Kurma Purana’s synthesis: the supreme reality can be praised through different divine names and forms, here explicitly as Viṣṇu-Kūrma.