Adhyāya 25 — Liṅga-māhātmya (The Chapter on the Liṅga): Hari’s Śiva-Worship and the Fiery Pillar Theophany
सुरम्ये मण्डपे शुभ्रे शङ्खाद्यैः परिवारितः / आत्मजैरभितो मुख्यैः स्त्रीसहस्त्रैश्च संवृतः
suramye maṇḍape śubhre śaṅkhādyaiḥ parivāritaḥ / ātmajairabhito mukhyaiḥ strīsahastraiśca saṃvṛtaḥ
Num mandapa belo e radiante, ele estava cercado por Śaṅkha e pelos demais assistentes principais; seus filhos mais eminentes o rodeavam por todos os lados, e milhares de mulheres também se acotovelavam ao seu redor.
Narrator (Purāṇic narrator continuing the royal/cosmic scene description; traditionally Sūta or Vyāsa in frame narration)
Primary Rasa: shringara
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
This verse is primarily descriptive and does not directly teach Ātman-doctrine; it sets a worldly scene of majesty and prosperity that later Purāṇic teaching often contrasts with inner renunciation and devotion to the Supreme.
No explicit Yoga practice is taught in this line; it functions as narrative atmosphere. In the Kurma Purana, such depictions commonly frame later instructions on dharma, devotion (bhakti), and Shaiva–Vaishnava synthesis, including Pāśupata-oriented discipline in other sections.
This verse does not mention Śiva or Viṣṇu directly; it is a courtly tableau. The Kurma Purana’s broader method is to embed later non-dual and harmonizing theology (Śiva–Viṣṇu unity) within such narrative settings.