Kurma Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 8
Madhu–Kaiṭabha, Nārāyaṇa’s Yoga-Nidrā, Rudra’s Manifestation, and the Aṣṭamūrti–Trimūrti Teaching
अस्मान्मयोच्यमानस्त्वं पद्मादवतर प्रभो / नाहं भवन्तं शक्नोमि वोढुं तेजामयं गुरुम्
asmānmayocyamānastvaṃ padmādavatara prabho / nāhaṃ bhavantaṃ śaknomi voḍhuṃ tejāmayaṃ gurum
主啊，既由我向你陈词，愿你自莲华而下。你威重非常，通体皆是炽然神辉，我实难承载。
A deity/attendant voice addressing Brahma (Padma-born) with reverence, acknowledging the unbearable potency (tejas) of the Lordly presence
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
FAQs
By stressing “tejomaya” (made of divine radiance) and “guru” (weighty), the verse points to the Supreme as an overwhelming, transcendent reality whose full presence cannot be “borne” by ordinary embodied supports—hinting that the Absolute exceeds limited instruments and requires divine accommodation (descent/manifestation).
The verse implies a core yogic principle: the mind-body apparatus must be purified and strengthened to endure higher “tejas.” In Kurma Purana’s broader yoga-dharma frame (including Pashupata-inflected discipline), steadying the senses, austerity, and devotion prepare the practitioner to receive divine presence without being overwhelmed.
Though not naming Shiva explicitly, the theology of “tejas” and lordly descent fits the Kurma Purana’s synthesis: the one Supreme Lord manifests through various divine forms. The emphasis is on a single, unbearable divinity that graciously becomes approachable—compatible with Shaiva-Vaishnava non-dual devotional reading.