Kurma Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 31
Genealogies of Yadus and Vṛṣṇis; Navaratha’s Refuge to Sarasvatī; Rise of Sāttvata Tradition; Prelude to Kṛṣṇa-Balarāma Incarnation
अनोस्तु पुरुकुत्सो ऽभूदंशुस्तस्य च रिक्थभाक् / अथांशोः सत्त्वतो नाम विष्णुभक्तः प्रतापवान् / महात्मा दाननिरतो धनुर्वेदविदां वरः
anostu purukutso 'bhūdaṃśustasya ca rikthabhāk / athāṃśoḥ sattvato nāma viṣṇubhaktaḥ pratāpavān / mahātmā dānanirato dhanurvedavidāṃ varaḥ
De Anu nasceu Purukutsa; e seu herdeiro foi Aṁśu. Então, de Aṁśu surgiu alguém chamado Sattvata—devoto de Viṣṇu, poderoso em bravura, grande de alma, dedicado à caridade, e o mais eminente entre os versados no Dhanurveda, a ciência do arco.
Sūta (narrator) speaking to the sages (Naimiṣāraṇya frame)
Primary Rasa: vira
Secondary Rasa: shanta
FAQs
This verse is primarily genealogical and ethical: it highlights devotion to Viṣṇu and virtues like valor and charity, implying that alignment with dharma and bhakti is honored in the Purāṇic vision, rather than offering a direct Ātman metaphysics teaching.
No explicit yoga technique is taught here; the verse foregrounds karmic discipline—dāna (charitable giving) and kṣatriya training (Dhanurveda)—as dharmic foundations that, in the Kurma Purana’s broader synthesis, support spiritual life alongside later yogic instruction (e.g., in the Upari-bhāga’s Ishvara Gītā sections).
The verse explicitly praises Viṣṇu-bhakti without mentioning Śiva; within the Kurma Purana’s larger Shaiva–Vaishnava synthesis, such praise functions as one strand of devotion that later harmonizes with teachings where the Supreme is approached through multiple divine forms.