Kurma Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 16
Genealogies of Yadus and Vṛṣṇis; Navaratha’s Refuge to Sarasvatī; Rise of Sāttvata Tradition; Prelude to Kṛṣṇa-Balarāma Incarnation
राजा नवरथो भीत्या नातिदूरादनुत्तमम् / अपश्यत् परमं स्थानं सरस्वत्या सुगोपितम्
rājā navaratho bhītyā nātidūrādanuttamam / apaśyat paramaṃ sthānaṃ sarasvatyā sugopitam
భయంతో కదిలిన రాజు నవరథుడు, ఎక్కువ దూరం కాకుండానే, దేవి సరస్వతి సుగోపితంగా దాచిన అనుత్తమమైన పరమస్థానాన్ని చూచెను.
Sūta (narrator) describing the episode to the assembled sages
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
FAQs
Indirectly: the “supreme abode” points to the Purāṇic idea that the highest reality is approached through sacred loci (tīrthas) and inner reverence, though this verse itself focuses on a concealed holy place rather than explicit ātman-doctrine.
No explicit yogic technique is stated; the verse emphasizes movement toward a sanctified, hidden space—often a narrative cue in the Kurma Purana that prepares for purification, vow-taking, and contemplative discipline associated with tīrtha-sevā.
This verse does not directly mention Śiva or Viṣṇu; it supports the broader Purāṇic synthesis by foregrounding tīrtha-mahātmyas (sacred geography) as shared devotional ground across Śaiva–Vaiṣṇava traditions.