Kurma Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 13
Sūrya-vaṃśa Genealogy and the Supremacy of Tapas: Gāyatrī-Japa, Rudra-Darśana, and Śatarudrīya Upadeśa
दृष्ट्वा तु गौतमं विप्रं तपन्तमनलप्रभम् / प्रणम्य दण्डवद् भूमौ पुत्रकामो महीपतिः / अपृच्छत् कर्मणा केन धार्मिकं प्राप्नुयात् सुतम्
dṛṣṭvā tu gautamaṃ vipraṃ tapantamanalaprabham / praṇamya daṇḍavad bhūmau putrakāmo mahīpatiḥ / apṛcchat karmaṇā kena dhārmikaṃ prāpnuyāt sutam
آگ کی مانند تپسیا سے درخشاں گوتم برہمن کو دیکھ کر، بیٹے کی آرزو رکھنے والے راجا نے زمین پر دَندوت سجدہ کیا اور پوچھا—“کس عمل سے دھرم والا بیٹا حاصل ہو؟”
Narrator (Sūta/Vyāsa tradition) describing the king’s action; the king speaks in the final query
Primary Rasa: karuna
Secondary Rasa: shanta
FAQs
Indirectly: it presents tapas, humility, and dharma as prerequisites for higher aims—suggesting that righteous outcomes (like worthy progeny) are aligned with inner purity and self-discipline that ultimately support realization of the Self.
Tapas (austerity) is foregrounded—Gautama is described as “fire-radiant” through ascetic heat. The king’s daṇḍavat-pranāma reflects vinaya (humility) and śaraṇāgati-like reverence, both supportive disciplines in Purāṇic yoga and dharma practice.
This verse does not explicitly mention Shiva or Vishnu; it reflects the Kurma Purana’s broader synthesis by locating desired worldly blessings within dharma and tapas—shared Purāṇic values across Shaiva and Vaishnava teachings.