Kurma Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 31
Invocation, Purāṇa Lakṣaṇas, Kurma at the Samudra-manthana, and Indradyumna’s Liberation Teaching
Iśvara-Gītā Prelude
तेजसा विष्णुमव्यक्तं नारदाद्या महर्षयः / मोहिताः सह शक्रेण श्रियो वचनमब्रुवन्
tejasā viṣṇumavyaktaṃ nāradādyā maharṣayaḥ / mohitāḥ saha śakreṇa śriyo vacanamabruvan
Nabighani sa ningning ng di-nahahayag na Viṣṇu, ang mga dakilang rishi na pinangungunahan ni Nārada—kasama si Śakra (Indra)—ay nalito sa pagkaakit at nagsalita ng kanilang mga salita kay Śrī (Lakṣmī).
Narrator (Purāṇic voice, traditionally Sūta/compilers) describing the sages’ reaction
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka
FAQs
By calling Viṣṇu “avyakta” (unmanifest) and describing His “tejas” as overpowering, the verse points to the Supreme as beyond ordinary perception—known not as an object, but as a transcendent reality whose presence can eclipse the mind’s usual grasp.
No specific technique is prescribed in this verse, but the motif is yogic: the mind becomes “mohita” when confronted with overwhelming divine brilliance, implying the need for inner steadiness (dhyāna, samādhi-like composure) and guidance through devotion—here, by approaching Śrī (Lakṣmī) as an intercessor.
While Śiva is not named here, the verse reflects a shared Purāṇic theology central to the Kūrma tradition: the Supreme is “unmanifest” and approached through divine śakti (Śrī). This prepares the ground for later Kurma Purana synthesis where sectarian forms (Śiva/Viṣṇu) are presented as converging toward one transcendent reality.