Shloka 4
Rudrakoṭi, Madhuvana, Puṣpanagarī, and Kālañjara — Śveta’s Bhakti and the Subjugation of Kāla
तेषां भक्तिं तदा दृष्ट्वा गिरिशो योगिनां गुरुः / कोटिरूपो ऽभवद् रुद्रो रुद्रकोटिस्ततः स्मृतः
teṣāṃ bhaktiṃ tadā dṛṣṭvā giriśo yogināṃ guruḥ / koṭirūpo 'bhavad rudro rudrakoṭistataḥ smṛtaḥ
ครั้นทอดพระเนตรเห็นภักติของพวกเขาในกาลนั้น กิรีศะ—พระรุทร ผู้เป็นครูแห่งโยคี—ทรงแผ่เป็นโกฏิรูป (นับมิถ้วน) ด้วยเหตุนั้นจึงทรงเป็นที่ระลึกนามว่า ‘รุทรโกฏิ’
Narrator (Purāṇic recitation tradition, describing Śiva/Rudra’s manifestation in response to devotees)
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
FAQs
By presenting Rudra as capable of countless manifestations while remaining the guru of yogins, the verse points to a single supreme reality that can appear in many forms without losing its essential unity—an idea aligned with Purāṇic non-dual theological language.
The verse emphasizes the yogic ideal of taking Śiva as “yogināṃ guruḥ” (teacher of yogins): devotion (bhakti) becomes a direct catalyst for divine grace, complementing discipline-based yoga with surrender and reverence central to Pāśupata-oriented spirituality.
Within the Kurma Purana’s synthetic theology, Rudra’s responsive grace to devotion supports the broader Shaiva–Vaishnava harmony: supreme divinity is approached through multiple names and forms, and devotion is validated as a shared path across sectarian expressions.