Kurma Purana — Uttara Bhaga, Shloka 3
Īśvara-gītā: Antaryāmin, Kāla, and the Divine Ordinance Governing Creation, Preservation, and Pralaya
सर्वेषामेव वस्तूनामन्तर्यामी पिता ह्यहम् / मध्ये चान्तः स्थितं सर्वं नाहं सर्वत्र संस्थितः
sarveṣāmeva vastūnāmantaryāmī pitā hyaham / madhye cāntaḥ sthitaṃ sarvaṃ nāhaṃ sarvatra saṃsthitaḥ
Ako nga ang Antaryāmin, ang panloob na Tagapamahala, at ang Ama ng lahat ng nilalang at bagay. Ang lahat ay nasa loob Ko—sa gitna at sa kaloob-looban—ngunit huwag Akong unawain na para bang kalat lamang sa lahat ng dako tulad ng isang bagay na materyal.
Lord Kurma (Vishnu) instructing the sages/Indradyumna-context discourse in the Purva-bhaga teaching section
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
FAQs
It presents the Supreme as Antaryāmin—the indwelling controller in all beings—while also clarifying that the Lord is not merely a physical presence spread out in space; all exists within Him, indicating transcendence alongside immanence.
The verse supports antaryāmin-dhyāna: meditation on Īśvara as the inner witness and governor within the heart (antaḥ), a key orientation for īśvara-anusandhāna (continuous contemplation of the Lord) found in Kurma Purana’s yoga-teachings.
By emphasizing one inner Lord present within all, it aligns with the Purana’s synthetic stance: Shiva and Vishnu are understood as expressions/names of the same supreme indwelling reality rather than competing deities.