Kurma Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 23
Incarnations of Mahādeva in Kali-yuga (Vaivasvata Manvantara) and the Nakulīśa Horizon
प्लक्षो दार्भायणिश्चैव केतुमान् गौतमस्तथा / भल्लापी मधुपिङ्गश्च श्वेतकेतुस्तपोनिधिः
plakṣo dārbhāyaṇiścaiva ketumān gautamastathā / bhallāpī madhupiṅgaśca śvetaketustaponidhiḥ
प्लक्षो दार्भायणिश्चैव केतुमान् गौतमस्तथा। भल्लापी मधुपिङ्गश्च श्वेतकेतुस्तपोनिधिः॥
Purāṇic narrator (traditional Sūta/Vyāsa-style narration) listing sages/lineages
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
FAQs
This verse is primarily genealogical, naming revered sages; it implies the Purāṇic ideal that realized seers—especially those described as rich in tapas—are the living witnesses to dharma and the higher truth, even when the Atman is not explicitly discussed here.
No specific technique is taught in this line; the epithet “taponidhiḥ” for Śvetaketu highlights tapas (austerity/ascetic discipline) as a core yogic virtue that supports concentration, restraint, and spiritual attainment across the Kurma Purana’s broader yoga-dharma framework.
The verse does not directly address Shiva–Vishnu theology; as part of the Kurma Purana’s wider Shaiva–Vaishnava synthesis, such genealogical sections ground later teachings by anchoring them in authoritative rishi traditions rather than sectarian polemics.