Invocation, Purāṇa Lakṣaṇas, Kurma at the Samudra-manthana, and Indradyumna’s Liberation Teaching
Iśvara-Gītā Prelude
त्वं हि स्वायंभुवे यज्ञे सुत्याहे वितते हरिः / संभूतः संहितां वक्तुं स्वांशेन पुरुषोत्तमः
tvaṃ hi svāyaṃbhuve yajñe sutyāhe vitate hariḥ / saṃbhūtaḥ saṃhitāṃ vaktuṃ svāṃśena puruṣottamaḥ
స్వాయంభువ మనువు యజ్ఞంలో సోమసుత్యాహం విస్తరించిన వేళ, నీవే హరి—పురుషోత్తముడు—స్వాంశంతో ప్రాదుర్భవించి ఈ సంహితను ప్రకటించుటకు అవతరించితివి।
Sūta (narrator) describing Hari’s manifestation for transmitting the Kurma Purana saṃhitā
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
It presents Hari as Puruṣottama who can manifest “by his own portion” without losing transcendence—implying the Supreme Self remains whole while appearing in a knowable form for teaching.
This verse is a framing statement rather than a practice-instruction: it establishes the authority of the saṃhitā revealed by Hari, which later includes disciplines such as Pāśupata-oriented devotion, dhyāna, and dharma-based purification.
By grounding the text’s revelation in Hari/Puruṣottama, it sets up the Kurma Purana’s synthetic approach where the same Supreme reality teaches paths that honor both Vaiṣṇava and Śaiva streams, later articulated through Ishvara-centered (Īśvara) theology.