Kurma Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 16
Puṣkara-dvīpa, Lokāloka, and the Measure of the Brahmāṇḍa
Cosmic Egg
अण्डानामीदृशानां तु कोट्यो ज्ञेयाः सहस्त्रशः / सर्वगत्वात् प्रधानस्य कारणस्याव्ययात्मनः
aṇḍānāmīdṛśānāṃ tu koṭyo jñeyāḥ sahastraśaḥ / sarvagatvāt pradhānasya kāraṇasyāvyayātmanaḥ
Alamin na may milyun-milyon—oo, libo-libong ulit na libo—ng ganitong Brahmāṇḍa. Sapagkat ang Pradhāna, ang unang sanhi na di-nasisira ang likas, ay sumasaklaw sa lahat at nasa lahat ng dako.
Lord Kurma (Vishnu) instructing the sages/King Indradyumna in the cosmological teaching context
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
FAQs
By emphasizing an imperishable, all-pervading causal principle (Pradhāna as the primordial cause), the verse frames creation as grounded in an unchanging reality—supporting the Purāṇic move toward an ultimate, non-decaying foundation behind manifest multiplicity.
This verse is primarily cosmological rather than procedural; it supports yogic contemplation (dhyāna) by directing the mind from the many universes (aṇḍas) to the all-pervading, imperishable causal ground—an inquiry aligned with Sāṅkhya-based discernment used within Kurma Purana’s broader yogic teaching.
Indirectly: by grounding cosmic multiplicity in a single imperishable cause, it harmonizes sectarian views—allowing Shaiva and Vaishnava readings to converge on one ultimate, all-pervading principle that the Purana elsewhere identifies through both Shiva- and Vishnu-centered theology.