Kurma Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 12
Madhu–Kaiṭabha, Nārāyaṇa’s Yoga-Nidrā, Rudra’s Manifestation, and the Aṣṭamūrti–Trimūrti Teaching
ततः प्रभाते योगात्मा भूत्वा देवश्चतुर्मुखः / ससर्ज सृष्टिं तद्रूपां वैष्णवं भावमाश्रितः
tataḥ prabhāte yogātmā bhūtvā devaścaturmukhaḥ / sasarja sṛṣṭiṃ tadrūpāṃ vaiṣṇavaṃ bhāvamāśritaḥ
随后黎明之时，四面之神（梵天）安住于瑜伽之心，依彼形相而开显创造，并归依于毗湿奴之性（Vaiṣṇava bhāva）——那罗延的护持之力。
Sūta (narrator) recounting the cosmogony to the sages (Naimiṣāraṇya frame)
Primary Rasa: vira
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
FAQs
It implies that even Brahmā’s creative activity proceeds from yogic absorption and by reliance on a higher sustaining principle (Vaiṣṇava bhāva), indicating that individual agency is effective when aligned with the Supreme (Nārāyaṇa) rather than independent.
The verse highlights yogātmā—entering a stabilized yogic state before undertaking action—suggesting creation (and by extension dharmic work) should arise from inner concentration, clarity, and alignment with īśvara-bhāva rather than from distraction or egoic impulse.
While naming a Vaiṣṇava disposition explicitly, the Kurma Purana’s broader synthesis frames such divine “bhāvas” as complementary powers within one supreme reality—creation is empowered through alignment with the sustaining Lord, without denying the Shaiva horizon that the text later integrates through Yoga and īśvara-oriented discipline.