Commencement of the Upari-bhāga: The Sages Request Brahma-vidyā; Vyāsa Recalls the Badarikā Inquiry and Śiva–Viṣṇu Theophany
तच्छृणुध्वं यथान्यायमुच्यमानं मयानघाः / प्रशान्तमानसाः सर्वे ज्ञानमीश्वरभाषितम्
tacchṛṇudhvaṃ yathānyāyamucyamānaṃ mayānaghāḥ / praśāntamānasāḥ sarve jñānamīśvarabhāṣitam
Maka, wahai yang suci tanpa dosa, dengarlah—menurut tata yang benar—ajaran yang sedang aku ucapkan. Dengan hati yang damai, hendaklah kamu semua mendengar pengetahuan yang diwartakan oleh Tuhan (Īśvara).
Lord Kūrma (as Īśvara, teaching the Īśvara-gītā)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: vira
It frames the teaching as “Īśvara-bhāṣita jñāna”—knowledge spoken by the Lord—implying that true insight into Self is authoritative revelation to be received with disciplined listening and inner calm.
The verse emphasizes śravaṇa (attentive hearing) done yathā-nyāyam (properly, with method) and praśānta-mānas (a pacified mind), aligning with Yogic prerequisites for receiving liberating knowledge in the Īśvara-gītā.
By presenting the instruction as Īśvara’s own speech within the Kurma Purana’s Īśvara-gītā setting, it supports the text’s non-sectarian synthesis where the Supreme Lord (Īśvara) is approached beyond rigid Shiva–Vishnu division.