Kurma Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 14
Puṣkara-dvīpa, Lokāloka, and the Measure of the Brahmāṇḍa
Cosmic Egg
समावृत्य तु तं शैलं सर्वतो वै तमः स्थितम् / तमश्चाण्डकटाहेन समन्तात् परिवेष्टितम्
samāvṛtya tu taṃ śailaṃ sarvato vai tamaḥ sthitam / tamaścāṇḍakaṭāhena samantāt pariveṣṭitam
Ngunit nang matakpan ang bundok na iyon, ang dilim ay nanahan sa lahat ng panig; at ang dilim na iyon, na wari’y isang napakalaking kaldero, ay lubusang pumalibot dito sa paligid.
Sūta (narrator) recounting the cosmic event to the sages (Naimiṣāraṇya frame)
Primary Rasa: bhayanaka
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
FAQs
Indirectly, it contrasts enveloping tamas (obscuration) with the need for inner clarity; in Purāṇic-Yogic reading, darkness symbolizes ignorance that veils true knowledge of the Self.
No practice is prescribed in this line, but the imagery of tamas supports the Kurma Purana’s broader Yogic emphasis: restraining tamas through sattva—discipline, steadiness, and contemplative discernment.
The verse is descriptive rather than theological; within the Kurma Purana’s synthesis, such cosmic events are typically framed as occurring under the unified divine governance where Hari and Hara are harmonized in purpose.