Kurma Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 120
Invocation, Purāṇa Lakṣaṇas, Kurma at the Samudra-manthana, and Indradyumna’s Liberation Teaching
Iśvara-Gītā Prelude
ऋषय ऊचुः देवदेव हृषीकेश नाथ नारायणामल / तद् वदाशेषमस्माकं यदुक्तं भवता पुरा
ṛṣaya ūcuḥ devadeva hṛṣīkeśa nātha nārāyaṇāmala / tad vadāśeṣamasmākaṃ yaduktaṃ bhavatā purā
圣仙们说道：噢，诸神之神，赫利希凯沙——我们的主、无垢的那罗延——请为我们详尽宣说你往昔所开示的那一教诲。
The sages (Ṛṣis)
Primary Rasa: bhakti
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
FAQs
By addressing Nārāyaṇa as “stainless” (amala) and “God of gods,” the verse points to the Supreme as pure and transcendent; the sages seek the timeless teaching that leads toward realizing that pure Reality.
No specific technique is listed in this verse; it functions as the formal request for complete upadeśa (instruction). In the Kurma Purana’s broader arc, such a request introduces disciplined hearing (śravaṇa), reflection, and later yogic/vrata-based practice aligned with devotion and Pāśupata-oriented spiritual discipline.
The verse directly invokes Nārāyaṇa as the supreme teacher; in the Kurma Purana’s synthesis, this same supreme Lord is understood as the single highest reality praised through both Vaiṣṇava and Śaiva theological language, setting the stage for non-sectarian instruction.