Kurma Purana — Uttara Bhaga, Shloka 10
Prākṛta-pralaya, Pratisarga Doctrine, and the Ishvara-Samanvaya of Yoga and Devotion
दंष्ट्राकरालवदनः प्रदीप्तानललोचनः / त्रिशूली कृत्तिवसनो योगमैश्वरमास्थितः
daṃṣṭrākarālavadanaḥ pradīptānalalocanaḥ / triśūlī kṛttivasano yogamaiśvaramāsthitaḥ
وہ ہولناک جبڑوں اور ابھری ہوئی دَنداں والا، آگ کی طرح بھڑکتی آنکھوں والا؛ ترشول بردار اور کھال کا لباس پہنے، ربّانی (آئشور) یوگ میں قائم ہے۔
Narrator (Purāṇic voice, traditionally Sūta relating the account to the sages) describing Rudra/Īśvara
Primary Rasa: raudra
Secondary Rasa: vira
FAQs
By presenting Īśvara as simultaneously awe-inspiring (ugra) and yogically established (aiśvara-yoga), the verse points to the Supreme as transcending ordinary dualities—terrible in power yet perfectly inwardly poised—hinting at a reality beyond fear and form that governs all.
The verse emphasizes Aiśvara-yoga—absorption grounded in lordship (aiśvarya): mastery of senses, unwavering concentration, and identification with Īśvara as the inner ruler, aligning with Pāśupata-oriented devotion and disciplined meditation.
In the Kurma Purana’s synthesizing frame, describing Rudra/Īśvara in exalted yogic terms supports the non-sectarian teaching that the Supreme Lord is one—spoken of as Śiva or as Viṣṇu—revealing a shared Īśvara-tattva rather than rivalry.