Kurma Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 15
Oṅkāra-Liṅga and the Secret Pañcāyatana Liṅgas of Kāśī: Kṛttivāseśvara-Māhātmya
समभ्यर्च्य तथा शिष्यैर्माहात्म्यं कृत्तिवाससः / कथयामास शिष्येभ्यो भगवान् ब्रह्मवित्तमः
samabhyarcya tathā śiṣyairmāhātmyaṃ kṛttivāsasaḥ / kathayāmāsa śiṣyebhyo bhagavān brahmavittamaḥ
Depois de adorar devidamente, junto com seus discípulos, o Bem-aventurado—supremo entre os conhecedores de Brahman—narrou aos discípulos a sagrada grandeza de Kṛttivāsa (Śiva).
The Brahman-knowing revered narrator (a guru/sage figure) addressing his disciples
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: bhakti
FAQs
By calling the narrator “brahmavittamaḥ” (foremost knower of Brahman), the verse frames the teaching as grounded in Brahman-realization—implying that Śiva’s glory is to be understood not merely as mythic praise but as pointing toward the highest spiritual truth.
The verse highlights preparatory discipline: worship (abhyarcana) performed in a guru-disciple setting, which in the Kurma Purana functions as a bhakti-based foundation for higher knowledge (brahmavidyā) and Shaiva-oriented sādhanā (often connected in broader context with Pāśupata-style purification and devotion).
By presenting Śiva’s māhātmya as worthy of Brahman-knowledge transmission, the verse supports the Kurma Purana’s integrative stance: devotion to Śiva is treated as compatible with, and expressive of, the highest reality—an approach that harmonizes Shaiva praise within a broader Purāṇic non-sectarian theological frame.