Kurma Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 1
Nine Creations (Sarga), Guṇa-Streams of Beings, and Brahmā’s Progeny in Cyclic Time
इति श्रीकूर्मपुराणे षटसाहस्त्र्यां संहितायां पूर्वविभागे षष्ठो ऽध्यायः श्रीकूर्म उवाच सृष्टिं चिन्तयतस्तस्य कल्पादिषु यथा पुरा / अबुद्धिपूर्वकः सर्गः प्रादुर्भूतस्तमोमयः
iti śrīkūrmapurāṇe ṣaṭasāhastryāṃ saṃhitāyāṃ pūrvavibhāge ṣaṣṭho 'dhyāyaḥ śrīkūrma uvāca sṛṣṭiṃ cintayatastasya kalpādiṣu yathā purā / abuddhipūrvakaḥ sargaḥ prādurbhūtastamomayaḥ
یوں شری کورم پران کی شٹ ساہسری سمہتا کے پورو بھاگ میں چھٹا ادھیائے ختم ہوا۔ شری کورم نے کہا—جب پرمیشور نے سृष्टि کا دھیان کیا، جیسے پچھلے کلپوں کے آغاز میں ہوتا آیا ہے، تو پہلے تمس سے بھرپور، بے تمیز سَرگ نمودار ہوا۔
Lord Kurma (Vishnu)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
FAQs
It presents the Lord as the conscious principle who “contemplates” creation, implying a transcendent awareness prior to manifestation; the first emanation is described as tamasic and non-discriminative, showing that clarity (buddhi) is not primary but unfolds later.
No specific practice is prescribed in this verse; however, the motif of the Lord’s “contemplation” (cintana) aligns with Purāṇic yoga language where disciplined contemplation and discernment (buddhi-viveka) are the antidotes to tamas—an important foundation for later Kurma Purana teachings on yoga and dharma.
Directly it names Kūrma (Vishnu) as the teacher of cosmology; within the Kurma Purana’s broader synthesis, this same cosmic doctrine is compatible with Shaiva-Pashupata frameworks (guṇas, sarga, and liberation through discernment), supporting a shared metaphysical ground rather than sectarian opposition.