Kurma Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 3
Tāmasa Sarga, the Androgynous Division of Brahmā, and the Lineages of Dharma and Adharma
अथात्मनि समद्राक्षीत् तमोमात्रां नियामिकाम् / रजः सत्त्वं च संवृत्य वर्तमानां स्वधर्मतः
athātmani samadrākṣīt tamomātrāṃ niyāmikām / rajaḥ sattvaṃ ca saṃvṛtya vartamānāṃ svadharmataḥ
Rồi Ngài thấy trong tự ngã một nguyên lý điều ngự chỉ gồm tamas—che phủ cả rajas lẫn sattva—nhưng vẫn vận hành theo pháp tắc nội tại của chính nó.
Lord Kurma (Vishnu) instructing on Self-knowledge in the Ishvara Gita context
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
FAQs
It frames the inner vision as seeing how the gunas function in relation to the Self: tamas appears as a veiling, regulating force, while the Self remains the locus of discernment that can witness these coverings.
The verse implies antar-darśana (inner contemplation): sustained meditation that discriminates the guna-based coverings—especially tamas that obscures clarity—so the practitioner can pursue sattva and transcend even sattva through higher knowledge.
By teaching a shared yogic-metaphysical framework (gunas, inner witness, and liberation through knowledge), the Ishvara Gita voice attributed to Lord Kurma aligns with Shaiva yogic terminology, reflecting the Kurma Purana’s non-sectarian synthesis rather than rivalry.