Kurma Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 57
Madhu–Kaiṭabha, Nārāyaṇa’s Yoga-Nidrā, Rudra’s Manifestation, and the Aṣṭamūrti–Trimūrti Teaching
यस्य द्यौरभवन्मूर्धा पादौ पृथ्वी दिशो भुजाः / आकाशमुदरं तस्मै विराजे प्रणमाम्यहम्
yasya dyaurabhavanmūrdhā pādau pṛthvī diśo bhujāḥ / ākāśamudaraṃ tasmai virāje praṇamāmyaham
جس کا سر آسمانِ بالا ہے، پاؤں زمین ہیں، سمتیں بازو ہیں، اور آکاش اس کا شکم ہے—اُس وِراج (کائناتی پُروش) کو میں پرنام کرتا ہوں۔
Narrator/reciter within the Purva-bhaga’s devotional discourse (a hymn-like salutation to Virāj)
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: vira
FAQs
By presenting Virāj as the universe-bodied reality, the verse points to a non-sectarian Absolute whose immanence pervades heaven, earth, space, and the directions—suggesting the Self as the all-encompassing ground of the cosmos.
It supports a dhyāna practice of viśvarūpa-upāsanā (meditation on the cosmic form): mentally mapping the cosmos onto the Lord’s limbs to stabilize attention, dissolve ego-boundaries, and cultivate reverence—compatible with Pāśupata-leaning contemplation in the Kūrma tradition.
By worshiping the cosmic Virāj rather than a narrow sectarian form, it aligns with the Purana’s synthesis: the Supreme can be approached as Hari or Hara, while the underlying reality is one and all-pervading.