Kurma Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 9
Invocation, Purāṇa Lakṣaṇas, Kurma at the Samudra-manthana, and Indradyumna’s Liberation Teaching
Iśvara-Gītā Prelude
रोमहर्षण उवाच नमस्कृत्वा जगद्योनिं कूर्मरूपधरं हरिम् / वक्ष्ये पौराणिकीं दिव्यां कथां पापप्रणाशिनीम्
romaharṣaṇa uvāca namaskṛtvā jagadyoniṃ kūrmarūpadharaṃ harim / vakṣye paurāṇikīṃ divyāṃ kathāṃ pāpapraṇāśinīm
罗摩哈沙那（Romaharṣaṇa）说：我先顶礼哈利——宇宙之胎与本源——那位持龟形（库尔玛 Kūrma）者；我将宣说一段神圣的往世书故事，能灭除罪业。
Romaharṣaṇa (Sūta)
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
FAQs
By calling Hari “jagadyoni” (the cosmic source), the verse points to the Supreme as the ultimate origin and support of all beings—an Ishvara-centered vision in which the highest reality is the ground from which the universe arises.
The verse foregrounds bhakti as a preparatory discipline: namaskāra (reverent salutation) and śravaṇa (hearing sacred Purāṇic discourse). In the Kurma Purana’s broader framework, such devotion and attentive listening function as purificatory supports for deeper yogic and dharmic practice.
While this specific verse addresses Hari in the Kūrma form, it establishes the Purana’s theistic foundation that later accommodates Shaiva-Vaishnava synthesis—presenting the Supreme as approachable through multiple revered forms without undermining divine unity.