Kurma Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 24
Cosmic Manifestation, Mahāmāyā’s Mandate, Varṇāśrama-Dharma, and the Unity of the Trimūrti
ससर्ज ब्राह्मणान् वक्त्रात् क्षत्रियांश्च भुजाद् विभुः / वैश्यानूरुद्वयाद् देवः पादार्छूद्रान् पितामहः
sasarja brāhmaṇān vaktrāt kṣatriyāṃśca bhujād vibhuḥ / vaiśyānūrudvayād devaḥ pādārchūdrān pitāmahaḥ
Đấng Toàn Năng đã sinh ra hàng Brāhmaṇa từ miệng Ngài; hàng Kṣatriya từ đôi tay; hàng Vaiśya từ hai đùi; và từ đôi chân, Ngài sinh ra hàng Śūdra—đó là cách vị Tổ phụ (Đấng Tạo hóa) hiển lộ bốn giai tầng.
Narrator (Purāṇic voice, describing cosmic creation within the Kurma Purana’s account)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
FAQs
It presents the Supreme as the all-pervading source from whom differentiated social functions arise, implying an underlying unity (one Lord as cause) behind the many roles in the manifest world.
No specific technique is taught in this verse; it supplies the dharmic framework (varṇa-based duties) that supports purification of conduct (yama/niyama-like discipline), which the Kurma Purana later aligns with yoga-oriented liberation teachings.
While not naming Śiva or Viṣṇu explicitly, it uses inclusive titles like “Vibhu/Deva,” consistent with the Kurma Purana’s tendency to treat the supreme creative principle as one reality honored through multiple sectarian lenses.