Kūrma Purāṇa

Kūrma Purāṇa, “the Purāṇa told by Kūrma”

Devī Māhātmya has other meanings too: see all meanings of Devī Māhātmya.

The Kūrma Purāṇa is a bright jewel among the eighteen Mahā Purāṇas. It is a sacred text that carries the spirit of Hari-Hara Abheda (the non-difference between Bhagavān Vishṇu and Bhagavān Śiva). Its narrator is Bhagavān Nārāyaṇa himself in his avatāra as the Divine Tortoise (Kūrma Avatāra), yet its subject often praises the glory of Parameśvara (Śiva) and Parāśakti (Devī). It is a bridge between the Vaishṇava and Śaiva traditions, teaching the world that the Supreme Truth is one, though it is realised in different forms. It is a text of great philosophical depth, holding the well-known Īśvara Gītā and Vyāsa Gītā, and it guides the Jīva out of the mire of worldly illusion to the shore of moksha.

The Kūrma Purāṇa has six thousand ślokas set out in four saṃhitās. It is the discourse of Bhagavān Kūrma, Vishṇu himself in his tortoise avatāra, told to the ṛshis gathered at Naimishāraṇya during the Vaivasvata Manvantara. It has the five marks of a Purāṇa: sarga (primary creation), pratisarga (secondary creation), vaṃśa (the lineage of the devas and ṛshis), manvantara, and vaṃśānucarita (the history of the dynasties). In some reckonings it is the fifteenth and most exalted of the Upapurāṇas; in others it is a full Mahāpurāṇa in its own right.

Significance

The significance of this Purāṇa lies in its divine speaker. Kūrma is the Tortoise avatāra of Bhagavān Vishṇu, who held up the Mandara mountain during the churning of the Ocean of Milk (Kshīrasāgara Mathana). Just as the tortoise draws its limbs into itself, this Purāṇa teaches the drawing in of the senses (Pratyāhāra) to find the Ātman within.

The Matsya Purāṇa defines the significance of the Kūrma Purāṇa with this śloka:

yatra dharmārthakāmā hi phalaṃ vāhayate hṛdi।
kūrmarūpī tu bhagavān kūrmaṃ tatkīrtitaṃ dvijāḥ ॥

That Purāṇa in which Bhagavān Vishṇu, taking the form of a Tortoise (Kūrma), set out the goals of life (Dharma, Artha, Kāma and Moksha) is celebrated as the Kūrma Purāṇa, O twice-born ones.

It is traditionally counted as the fifteenth of the Mahā Purāṇas and is stated to contain seventeen thousand verses (ślokas); the versions available today are shorter. Some classifications group it as a Tāmasa Purāṇa because it glorifies Agni and Śiva, yet its narrator is the Sattva-mūrti, Bhagavān Vishṇu.

Per Agni Purāṇa, the Kūrma Purāṇa has 8,000 ślokas. Bhagavān Vishṇu in the form of Kūrma told it in Pātāla, in the course of the account of Indradyumna. It is given in dāna together with a golden kūrma (tortoise) (Agni Purāṇa, Chapter 272).

Per Bhāgavata Purāṇa, the Kūrma Purāṇa is the seventeenth in Sūta Maharshi‘s list of the eighteen Purāṇas, which runs from the Brahma to the Brahmāṇḍa. In the closing chapter of the Bhāgavata, Sūta tells the maharshis that it has 17,000 ślokas, and that the ślokas of all the Purāṇas together are four lakh (Bhāgavata Purāṇa, Skandha 12, Chapters 7, 13).

Narrator and Audience

This sacred teaching is handed down through a divine assembly:

• Original Narrator: The Supreme Bhagavān Janārdana (Vishṇu), in his form as Kūrma, tells this wisdom.
• Original Audience: He speaks to the great king Indradyumna and a gathering of celestial ṛshis (Devarshis), Nārada among them, who were witnessing the divine churning of the ocean.
• Secondary Narrator: Sūta Romaharshaṇa (Lomaharshaṇa) later recounted this dialogue.
• Secondary Audience: Sūta tells it to the assembly of Ṛshis led by Śaunaka in the holy Naimishāraṇya forest, who wished to hear the essence of the Purāṇas that leads to moksha.

The occasion of the narration

During the long yajña session at Naimishāraṇya, the great ṛshis gathered round the revered Sūta Paurāṇika Romaharshaṇa, whose very name came from the thrill of joy that made his hair stand on end (romaharsha) at the words of his guru Vedavyāsa. The ṛshis asked him to tell the Kūrma Purāṇa. Romaharshaṇa bowed first to Vedavyāsa with a full heart, then to Bhagavān Kūrma himself, and began the recitation.

Within this, the Purāṇa has an inner frame. Bhagavān Vishṇu had taken the Kūrma (tortoise) form to hold up Mandara Parvata during the churning of the ocean, and the devas and ṛshis addressed him directly. From the churning rose Lakshmī, and the gathered mahārshis, Nārada and others, offered her pūjā. Vishṇu then told them the sacred history of Indradyumna’s moksha, and wove into it the whole body of Purāṇic teaching. Then, at the request of Nārada and the devas, Indra among them, Bhagavān Kūrma gave the full Kūrma Purāṇa. It is this discourse that Romaharshaṇa received from Vedavyāsa and now gives to the ṛshis at Naimishāraṇya.

Structure

The Kūrma Purāṇa, in its available form, is set out in two major sections (Bhāgas), each wide in scope:

1. Pūrva Bhāga: the first part, on creation, the avatāras and history. It is also called the Pūrvārdha (first half) and has fifty-three adhyāyas.
2. Uttara Bhāga: the second part, philosophical and ritual, which holds the well-known Gītās. It is also called the Uttarārdha (second half) and has forty-four adhyāyas.

The four saṃhitās

The Kūrma Purāṇa is arranged in four saṃhitās. Each matches one of the four Vedas, and each grants dharma, artha, kāma and moksha:

1. Brāhmī: the saṃhitā of Brahmā, on creation and brahmavidyā (knowledge of Brahman).
2. Bhāgavatī: the saṃhitā of Bhagavatī, on the divine feminine and śakti.
3. Saurī: the saṃhitā of Sūrya, on the Saura tradition.
4. Vaishṇavī: the saṃhitā of Vishṇu, on Vaishṇava dharma and moksha.

All four are called puṇya (holy), and together they hold the secrets of Brahmatattva and of the form of Parameśvara (Parameśvara-rūpa).

The five marks

The Kūrma Purāṇa defines a Purāṇa as a text with these five marks:

1. Sarga: the primary creation of the cosmos.
2. Pratisarga: the secondary creation, and creation again after dissolution.
3. Vaṃśa: the lineage of the devas, the ṛshis and the first beings.
4. Manvantara: the line of the Manus and their ages.
5. Vaṃśānucarita: the histories of the royal and divine dynasties.

The eighteen Mahāpurāṇas

In chapter 1 the Kūrma Purāṇa lists the eighteen Mahāpurāṇas: Brāhma, Pādma, Vaishṇava (Vishṇu Purāṇa), Śaiva, Bhāgavata, Bhavishya, Nāradīya, Mārkaṇḍeya, Āgneya (Agni Purāṇa), Brahmavaivarta, Liṅga, Vārāha, Skānda, Vāmana, Kūrma, Mātsya, Gāruḍa and Vāyavīya (Brahmāṇḍa Purāṇa).

The eighteen Upapurāṇas

Besides the Mahāpurāṇas, the text lists the eighteen Upapurāṇas, the secondary Purāṇas that the ṛshis heard and set down in brief. They include the Sanatkumārīya, the Nārasiṃha, the Skānda (as taught by Kumārasvāmī), the Śivadharma (told by Nanīśvara), the Nāradīya (taught by Durvāsa), the Kāpila, the Vāmana, the Brāhmaṇa (taught by Śukrācārya), the Pauruṇa, the Kālaka, the Māheśvara, the Sāmba, the Saura (a collection of all subjects), the Mārīca (taught by Parāśara), the Bhārgava, and the Kūrma Purāṇa itself. The Kūrma is called the fifteenth and most excellent of these.

Contents

Pūrva Bhāga: Creation and History

This section begins with the primary creation (Sarga). It describes how the cosmos unfolds from the unmanifest Prakṛti and the Purusha. It tells of the birth of Brahmā and the creation of the Prajāpatis that follows.

• The Varṇāśrama Dharma: Bhagavān Kūrma speaks at length on the duties of the four varṇas and the four stages of life, stressing that keeping one’s Svadharma is the first step towards the realisation of Parameśvara.
• The Avatāras: It recounts the glorious avatāras of Bhagavān Vishṇu, above all the Vāmana Avatāra, telling how Bhagavān Vāmana measured the universe to bless Bali Cakravartī.
• Genealogies: The text traces the Sūrya Vaṃśa (Solar Dynasty) and Candra Vaṃśa (Lunar Dynasty), telling the lives of great kings such as Rāma and Kṛshṇa in a spirit of devotion.
• Śiva Māhātmya: In telling the history of Daksha‘s yajña, the text speaks at length on the supremacy of Bhagavān Śiva, the destruction of the yajña by Vīrabhadra, and the grace later given to Daksha.

The Pūrvārdha (first half) has fifty-three adhyāyas and covers:

• Indradyumna’s moksha (the frame narrative): a brāhmaṇa who had been a king in an earlier birth received jñāna (knowledge) from Bhagavān Kūrma and reached moksha after two births (chapter 1).
• Varṇāśrama-dharma: the duties of the four varṇas and the four āśramas, as Bhagavān Kūrma taught them to Indradyumna (chapter 2).
• Sṛshṭi and pratisarga: the primary and secondary creation; the coming forth of Brahmā, of Rudra and of the cosmic orders (chapters 3–10).
• Devī Māhātmya and the 1008 names of Parāmbikā: Himavān‘s stotra on seeing the viśvarūpa (cosmic form) of Devī (chapter 12).
• Vaṃśa-kathana: the lineages of the ṛshis, the daughters of Daksha, the children of Kaśyapa, and the dynasty of Svāyambhuva Manu (chapters 13–19).
• Trivikrama-carita: the Vāmana avatāra and Bali‘s surrender (chapter 17).
• Rāmāyaṇa-saṅkshepa and Rāmasetu: the Ikshvāku line, and Rāma’s bridge to Laṅkā (chapter 21).
• Kṛshṇa’s tapas and his visit to Kailāsa: Kṛshṇa at the āśrama of Upamanyu and then at Kailāsa (chapters 25–26).
• Yuga-dharma: the marks of the four yugas and conduct in Kaliyuga (chapters 29–30).
• Vārāṇasī Māhātmya (chapters 31–35): the Avimukta-kshetra, the tāraka-brahma (the saving mantra), and the sacred liṅgas.
• Śaṅkukarṇa‘s stotra to Kapardīśvara, and the account of the piśāca who gained moksha (chapter 33).
• Prayāga Māhātmya (chapters 36–39): Triveṇī, the Māgha-snāna (bath in the month of Māgha) and kalpavāsa (dwelling at the tīrtha for the month).
• Geography and tīrtha-māhātmya: sacred places, mountains, rivers, dvīpas and seas.
• The Manvantaras and the 28 Dvāpara Vyāsas: the list of the dividers of the Veda in each Dvāpara (chapter 52).

Uttara Bhāga: The Path to Wisdom

This section is the philosophical crown of the Purāṇa.

• Īśvara Gītā: This is the most celebrated part of the Kūrma Purāṇa. It is a dialogue in which Bhagavān Śiva teaches the highest truths to the ṛshis (Sanatkumāra, Vyāsa and others) in the presence of Bhagavān Vishṇu. It discusses the nature of the Ātman, the glory of Bhagavān Maheśvara, the Supreme, Yoga and Bhakti. It stresses that Vishṇu and Śiva are in essence one.
• Vyāsa Gītā: Here the ṛshi Vyāsa teaches the Ṛshis practical spirituality. It covers the conduct of a householder, the importance of Dāna (charity), rites of purification, and the greatness of the holy ash (Bhasma).
• Tīrtha Māhātmya: This section is a guide for those who visit the tīrthas, and glorifies above all Prayāga (Allahabad) and Vārāṇasī (Kāśī). It describes the holiness of dying in Kāśī and the grace of Bhagavān Viśvanātha.

The Uttarārdha (second half) has forty-four adhyāyas and is one of the fullest sections of dharmaśāstra and tīrtha-māhātmya in any Mahāpurāṇa. Its main contents are:

• The Īśvara Gītā (chapters 1–11): an eleven-chapter philosophical discourse given by Parameśvara himself at Badrikāśrama to an assembly of brahmarshis, at Nārāyaṇa’s request. It covers the twenty-five Sāṅkhya tattvas; the three supreme tattvas (Pradhāna, Purusha and Īśvara); the cosmic rule and the vibhūtis (glories) of Parameśvara; the nature of māyā and of the paramapada (the highest state); the Liṅga as the avyakta (unmanifest) Brahman; and the two kinds of yoga, ending in Pāśupata-yoga as the essence of all the Vedas (sarvaveda-sāra).
• The dharmaśāstra section (chapters 12–28): full teaching on the four āśramas: brahmacarya (upanayana, the rules of guru and śishya, the study of the Veda), gṛhastha (the five great yajñas, sandhyā, śrāddha, the rules of eating, the means of livelihood), vānaprastha, and sannyāsa (three kinds, of which the jñāna-sannyāsī is the highest).
• Prāyaścitta (chapter 30): the four mahāpātakas (gravest pāpas) and their remedies, including those for brahmahatyā: carrying a skull (kapāla) for twelve years, or, in its place, bathing in the Narmadā or at Kāśī.
• The Kālabhairava-kapāla episode (chapter 31): Brahmā‘s pride and the cutting off of his fifth head; Kālabhairava‘s wandering; Brahmā’s stotra; Brahmeśvara-yoga.
• Sītā‘s prayer to Agni (chapter 33): the Vahnyashṭaka; Agni as one with Śiva-Rudra; the putting of a māyā-Sītā (illusory Sītā) in Sītā’s place.
• The tīrtha-māhātmya section (chapters 33–42): Prayāga, the five-yojana kshetra of Parameshṭhī; the Narmadā, which arose from the body of Rudra, with its eighty tīrthas; Naimishāraṇya, named from the rim of the cakra (cakra-nemi), where Mahādeva is always present and where those who die reach Brahmaloka; and Kāśī, whose supremacy is told as ten thousand koṭis, where the Śatarudrīya at death grants moksha.
• Narratives: Maṅkaṇa freed from pride by the laughter of Parameśvara; Nandī‘s japa of three crore at Jāpyeśvara; Śveta‘s moksha at Kālañjara; the episode of the bhikshu (mendicant) in the Dārukāvana, and the Pāśupata teaching.

Phala Śruti (Fruits of Recitation)

The Purāṇa gives great blessings to its listeners.

• Destruction of pāpa: Merely listening to the Kūrma Purāṇa with faith destroys pāpas as grave as Brahmahatyā (killing a Brāhmaṇa). Bhagavān Kūrma declares that even one who has done great pāpas reaches the uttama-lokas (the highest worlds) by hearing it. Hearing even a single adhyāya frees one from all pāpa, and hearing even a single upākhyāna (narrative) earns honour in Brahmaloka.
• Reaching Śivaloka or Vishṇuloka: As it glorifies both, the devotee reaches the abode of the Supreme, whether he thinks of him as Hari or Hara.
• Moksha: The study of the Īśvara Gītā within it grants the knowledge of the Self (Brahma Jñāna), cutting the knots of ignorance (Avidyā) and leading to Kaivalya (liberation).

The Purāṇa should be shared only with the śraddadhāna, the faithful and reverent, and not with the nāstika (one who denies the Vedas).

The Trimūrti and the Supreme

A central teaching of the Kūrma Purāṇa is the oneness of Brahmā, Vishṇu and Śiva as three aspects of the One Parameśvara. In several places the text says that Śiva declared to Vishṇu: “Brahmā, Vishṇu and Śiva: we three bear the work of creation, preservation and dissolution. Brahmā is the creator, Vishṇu the protector, Rudra the dissolver. There is no difference between us.” Kṛshṇa‘s stotra to Śiva, and Brahmā’s stotra to Śiva at the time of Rudra-sṛshṭi (the creation of Rudra), both affirm this Trimūrti-aikya (oneness of the Trimūrti).

Its place among the Purāṇas

• Hari and Hara together: The Vishṇu Purāṇa centres on Vishṇu and the Śiva Purāṇa on Śiva; the Kūrma Purāṇa joins the two. Vishṇu narrates it, yet it holds the Īśvara Gītā spoken by Śiva. It declares that one who sees a difference between the two goes to naraka.
• Philosophy: The Bhāgavata is known for Bhakti (devotion). The Kūrma Purāṇa, like the Liṅga Purāṇa, puts heavy weight on Jñāna (knowledge) and Yoga (discipline).
• The Gītās: It is one of the few Purāṇas with separate “Gītā” sections (the Īśvara Gītā and the Vyāsa Gītā), as the Mahābhārata has, which makes it a manual of spiritual instruction.

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Sources

• Kūrma Purāṇa, Pūrvārdha (chapters 1–53)
• Kūrma Purāṇa, Pūrvārdha, chapter 1
• Kūrma Purāṇa, Pūrvārdha, chapters 9, 10, 25
• Kūrma Purāṇa, Uttarārdha (chapters 1–44)
• Matsya Purāṇa (the verse on the Kūrma Purāṇa)
• Agni Purāṇa, Chapter 272
• Bhāgavata Purāṇa, Skandha 12, Chapters 7, 13