Kurma Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 2
Dvīpa-Varṣa Vibhāga and the Priyavrata–Agnīdhra Lineage
Cosmic Geography and Royal Succession
ऋषय ऊचुः कथितो भवता सूत सर्गः स्वयंभुवः शुभः / इदानीं श्रोतुमिच्छामस्त्रिलोकस्यास्य मण्डलम्
ṛṣaya ūcuḥ kathito bhavatā sūta sargaḥ svayaṃbhuvaḥ śubhaḥ / idānīṃ śrotumicchāmastrilokasyāsya maṇḍalam
诸仙曰：“噢，苏多啊，你已宣说自生者（Svayambhū）之吉祥创化。如今我们愿闻此三界之坛城——宇宙曼荼罗的布局。”
The sages (ṛṣis), addressing Sūta
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
FAQs
This verse does not directly define Ātman; it frames a transition from the account of primordial creation to the ordered structure of the cosmos, implying a purāṇic method where metaphysics is taught through cosmology and sacred order.
No explicit yoga practice is taught in this verse; it sets up a cosmological teaching (triloka-maṇḍala) that later supports dharma and contemplation by presenting the universe as an intelligible, sacred mandala suitable for reflective understanding.
It does not mention Śiva or Viṣṇu explicitly; however, the request for the ‘mandala of the three worlds’ aligns with the Kurma Purana’s broader integrative vision where cosmic order is a shared theological ground for both Śaiva and Vaiṣṇava teachings.