Kurma Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 49
Genealogies of Yadus and Vṛṣṇis; Navaratha’s Refuge to Sarasvatī; Rise of Sāttvata Tradition; Prelude to Kṛṣṇa-Balarāma Incarnation
तस्यासीत् तुम्बुरुसखा विद्वान् पुत्रो नलः किल / ख्यायते तस्य नामानुरनोरानकदुन्दुभिः
tasyāsīt tumburusakhā vidvān putro nalaḥ kila / khyāyate tasya nāmānuranorānakadundubhiḥ
Tunay ngang nagkaroon siya ng isang anak na marunong, si Nala ang pangalan, na kasama ni Tumburu; at ang kanyang katanyagan ay ipinahahayag sa lahat ng dako, umaalingawngaw na parang dagundong ng mga kettledrum at malalaking tambol ng digmaan.
Sūta (traditional Purāṇic narrator) recounting lineage to the sages
Primary Rasa: vira
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
FAQs
This verse is not a direct Atman-teaching; it functions as a genealogical note praising kīrti (renown). In Kurma Purana’s broader framework, such renown is typically treated as worldly (laukika) and secondary to liberation-oriented knowledge taught elsewhere (notably in the Upari-bhaga’s Ishvara Gita).
No specific yoga practice is taught in this verse. It belongs to a narrative-genealogical passage; yogic instruction (including Pāśupata-oriented discipline and devotion) is emphasized more explicitly in other sections of the Kurma Purana, especially in the Upari-bhaga.
It does not directly address Shiva–Vishnu unity; it highlights cultural ideals of learning and fame through lineage narration. The Kurma Purana’s Shaiva–Vaishnava synthesis is developed in doctrinal chapters elsewhere rather than in this genealogical shloka.