Shloka 5
Īśvara-gītā: Bhakti as the Supreme Means; the Three Śaktis; Non-compelled Lordship
न मां पश्यन्ति मुनयः सर्वे ऽपि त्रिदिवौकसः / ब्रह्मा च मनवः शक्रो ये चान्ये प्रथितौजसः
na māṃ paśyanti munayaḥ sarve 'pi tridivaukasaḥ / brahmā ca manavaḥ śakro ye cānye prathitaujasaḥ
诸牟尼圣者不能见我；三天之众亦不能见我。非但梵天、诸摩奴、释迦罗（因陀罗），乃至一切以威力著称者，皆不得见我。
Lord Kūrma (Viṣṇu) speaking to King Indradyumna (in the Purva-bhāga narrative frame)
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
FAQs
It presents the Supreme as beyond ordinary perception—even by Brahmā, Indra, and great sages—implying that the highest Self/Iśvara is not an object of the senses but is realized through deeper spiritual insight.
The verse implies the need for inward realization rather than external sight—aligning with dhyāna (meditation), samādhi-oriented discipline, and devotion (bhakti) as means to “see” the Lord beyond the reach of celestial power or intellectual status.
By stressing one transcendent Lord beyond the grasp of even the highest devas, the Kurma Purana supports a non-sectarian, non-dual tone where supreme divinity is singular—harmonizing Shaiva and Vaishnava approaches through the shared principle of Iśvara’s transcendence.