Shloka 56
Devadāru (Dāruvana) Forest: The Delusion of Ritual Pride, the Liṅga Crisis, and the Teaching of Jñāna–Pāśupata Yoga
क एष पुरुषो देव भीताः स्म पुरुषोत्तम / भवन्तमेव शरणं प्रपन्ना वयमच्युत
ka eṣa puruṣo deva bhītāḥ sma puruṣottama / bhavantameva śaraṇaṃ prapannā vayamacyuta
Ó Senhor, quem é esta Pessoa? Ó Pessoa Suprema, estamos tomados de temor. Ó Acyuta, somente em Ti nos refugiamos, tomando-Te como único amparo.
Terrified supplicants (devatās/sages) addressing Lord Hari (Acyuta)
Primary Rasa: karuna
Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka
FAQs
By calling the Lord “Puruṣottama” and “Acyuta,” the verse points to an unfailing Supreme Person beyond ordinary beings, the ultimate ground of safety in whom one seeks refuge when limited selves are overcome by fear.
The verse highlights śaraṇāgati (complete surrender) as a core spiritual discipline—an inner turning of mind, speech, and will toward the Lord—supporting the Purāṇic yoga ideal where effort is fulfilled by divine protection and grace.
Though addressed to Acyuta (Vishnu), the Kurma Purana’s broader synthesis treats supreme refuge as one Ishvara; devotion to the Supreme—named here as Puruṣottama—aligns with the text’s non-sectarian emphasis on one Lord honored through multiple divine forms.