Kurma Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 59
Adhyāya 25 — Liṅga-māhātmya (The Chapter on the Liṅga): Hari’s Śiva-Worship and the Fiery Pillar Theophany
यो ऽहं तल्लिङ्गमित्याहुर्वेदवादविदो जनाः / ततो ऽहमात्ममीशानं पूजयाम्यात्मनैव तु
yo 'haṃ talliṅgamityāhurvedavādavido janāḥ / tato 'hamātmamīśānaṃ pūjayāmyātmanaiva tu
通达吠陀教义者宣说：此“我”本身即是林伽（至上之标志）。故我唯以自我，礼敬伊舍那（湿婆）为我之自性。
Lord Kurma (Vishnu) teaching a Shaiva-Vaishnava synthesis consistent with Kaurma doctrine
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
FAQs
It identifies the deepest ‘I’ (aham) with the supreme Liṅga—i.e., the ultimate indicator of Reality—implying that the true Self is the locus where the Divine is recognized, not merely an external object.
The verse points to inward pūjā (antar-yāga): worship performed through self-awareness, where attention is withdrawn from externality and established in the Self as Īśāna—aligned with Pāśupata-style contemplation and identity-based devotion.
With Vishnu (as Kurma) teaching worship of Īśāna as the very Self, it presents a non-sectarian unity: the Supreme is one, approached as Śiva through inner realization while upheld within a Vaiṣṇava narrative voice.