Kurma Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 1
Prākṛta Sṛṣṭi and Pralaya: From Pradhāna to Brahmāṇḍa; Trimūrti Samanvaya
इति श्रीकूर्मपुराणे षट्साहस्त्र्यां संहितायां पूर्वविभागे तृतीयो ऽध्यायः सूत उवाच श्रुत्वाऽश्रमविधिं कृत्सनमृषयो हृष्टमानसाः / नमस्कृत्य हृषीकेशं पुनर्वचनमब्रुवन्
iti śrīkūrmapurāṇe ṣaṭsāhastryāṃ saṃhitāyāṃ pūrvavibhāge tṛtīyo 'dhyāyaḥ sūta uvāca śrutvā'śramavidhiṃ kṛtsanamṛṣayo hṛṣṭamānasāḥ / namaskṛtya hṛṣīkeśaṃ punarvacanamabruvan
至此，《圣龟摩往世书》萨特萨哈斯里集成之前分第三章圆满。苏多曰：诸仙闻尽四住期之法，心生欢喜，礼敬赫利希凯沙，复又启言。
Sūta
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
FAQs
Indirectly: by naming the Lord as Hṛṣīkeśa (“Lord of the senses”), it implies a governing consciousness beyond the senses—hinting that the Supreme is the inner ruler (antaryāmin) to whom sages turn after receiving dharma-teachings.
The verse frames the dharmic foundation for practice: hearing (śravaṇa) of āśrama-vidhi, followed by reverence (namaskāra) and further inquiry—an orthodox learning sequence that supports later Yoga disciplines in the Kurma Purana’s broader teaching arc.
While Shiva is not named here, the Purana’s synthesis is reflected in the sages’ devotional posture toward Hṛṣīkeśa while engaging with dharma-vidhi—showing that authoritative dharma and spiritual inquiry proceed under the Supreme Lord, whom the text elsewhere harmonizes with Shaiva teachings.