Kurma Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 19
Prākṛta Sṛṣṭi and Pralaya: From Pradhāna to Brahmāṇḍa; Trimūrti Samanvaya
अहङ्कारो ऽबिमानश्च कर्ता मन्ता च स स्मृतः / आत्मा च पुद्गलो जीवो यतः सर्वाः प्रवृत्तयः
ahaṅkāro 'bimānaśca kartā mantā ca sa smṛtaḥ / ātmā ca pudgalo jīvo yataḥ sarvāḥ pravṛttayaḥ
Ahaṅkāra (ngã chấp, cảm thức “ta”) và abhimāna (sự nhận chiếm “của ta”) được ghi nhớ như nguyên lý tự cho mình là kẻ làm và kẻ nghĩ. Nó cũng được gọi là Ātman, pudgala (nhân vị), jīva (sinh linh), từ đó mọi hành động và mọi sự vận hành đều phát sinh.
Lord Kūrma (Vishnu) instructing King Indradyumna (didactic narration)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
FAQs
This verse focuses on the individuated self-sense: the ‘I-maker’ (ahaṅkāra) that claims doership and thinkership and is therefore spoken of as ‘ātmā/jīva’ in worldly operation. It implies that bondage begins when the Self is misconstrued as the egoic agent from which all pravṛttis proceed.
The verse supports Yoga’s core discipline of witnessing: separating the seer (draṣṭā) from egoic doership. In practice, meditation and discrimination (viveka) target ahaṅkāra and abhimāna—reducing identification—so actions cease to be owned as ‘I do’ and ‘mine’.
While not naming Śiva directly, the teaching aligns with the Kurma Purana’s Shaiva–Vaishnava synthesis: the Lord (here Kūrma/Vishnu) teaches a liberation method compatible with Pāśupata-leaning renunciation of egoic agency—an approach shared across Śaiva and Vaiṣṇava yogic metaphysics in this Purana.