Adhyāya 25 — Liṅga-māhātmya (The Chapter on the Liṅga): Hari’s Śiva-Worship and the Fiery Pillar Theophany
प्रणम्य शिरसा कृष्णमनुज्ञातो महामुनिः / जगाम चेप्सितं देशं देवदेवस्य शूलिनः
praṇamya śirasā kṛṣṇamanujñāto mahāmuniḥ / jagāma cepsitaṃ deśaṃ devadevasya śūlinaḥ
มหามุนีก้มศีรษะนอบน้อมแด่กฤษณะ ครั้นได้รับอนุญาตแล้ว จึงออกเดินทางสู่แดนอันปรารถนา อันเป็นของเทพเหนือเทพ ผู้ทรงตรีศูล
Sūta (narrator) describing the sage’s action within the Kurma Purana narrative frame
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: vira
By placing reverence to Kṛṣṇa alongside the destination identified with Śiva (Devadeva), the verse supports the Purana’s integrative theology: the supreme reality is approached through devotion that transcends sectarian division, hinting at one overarching divinity expressed through multiple forms.
The verse foregrounds preparatory discipline rather than a technique: humility (praṇāma), obedience to spiritual authorization (anujñā), and purposeful pilgrimage to a sanctified locus—practices that align with Purāṇic sādhanā supporting Pāśupata-oriented devotion and inner purification.
It presents a practical unity: the sage bows to Kṛṣṇa (Vishnu) yet journeys to the realm of Śiva (Śūlin), implying complementary reverence and a non-competitive, harmonized Shaiva–Vaishnava vision typical of the Kurma Purana.