Kurma Purana — Uttara Bhaga, Shloka 55
Naimittika-pralaya and the Theology of Kāla: Seven Suns, Saṃvartaka Fire, Flood, and Varāha Kalpa
मन्त्रो ऽग्निर्ब्राह्मिणा गावः कुशाश्च समिधो ह्यहम् / प्रोक्षणी च श्रुवश्चैव सोमो घृतमथास्म्यहम्
mantro 'gnirbrāhmiṇā gāvaḥ kuśāśca samidho hyaham / prokṣaṇī ca śruvaścaiva somo ghṛtamathāsmyaham
Ako mismo ang banal na mantra; Ako ang apoy ng yajña. Ako ang mga Brāhmaṇa; Ako ang mga baka; Ako ang damong kuśa at ang mga panggatong. Ako ang sisidlang pampandilig at ang sandok; Ako ang Soma, at Ako rin ang ghṛta, ang dalisay na ghee.
Lord Kurma (Vishnu) instructing King Indradyumna (Ishvara-Gita discourse)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
FAQs
By declaring “I am” as the mantra, fire, priests, implements, and offerings, the Lord teaches that the Supreme Self pervades the entire sacrificial process—both means and end—so worship culminates in recognizing the one all-pervading Īśvara behind all ritual forms.
The verse supports yajña as an internalized yoga: contemplation that every component of action (kriyā), instrument (karaṇa), and offering (dravya) is Īśvara. This aligns with Kurma Purana’s discipline of transforming outward rites into inward God-remembrance (īśvara-smṛti) and one-pointed devotion (bhakti-yoga) integrated with dharma.
In the Ishvara-Gita’s synthetic theology, the single Īśvara is the essence of all sacred acts and powers; this non-sectarian stance underwrites Shaiva–Vaishnava unity by treating the Supreme (whether invoked as Hari or Hara) as the one reality manifesting through ritual and cosmic functions.