Narratives from the Kūrma Purāṇa

Daksha holds a great yajña without Bhagavān Śiva; Vīrabhadra destroys it, and Brahmā teaches that Śiva and Vishṇu are not different.

Bhagavān Śiva comes to the ṛshis of Dārukāvana as a naked beggar, shows his true form, and teaches the Pāśupata path.

The Kūrma Purāṇa tells of Devī as Satī and Pārvatī, the teaching of Parāśakti, and Himavān's vision of her cosmic form.

Indradyumna, once a king and then a brāhmaṇa, sees Lakshmī and Bhagavān Nārāyaṇa and reaches moksha; this opens the Kūrma Purāṇa.

Kālabhairava cuts off Brahmā's fifth head, carries the skull through the worlds, and is freed of it at Kapālamocana tīrtha in Vārāṇasī.

Bhagavān Kṛshṇa goes to Upamanyu's āśrama, does tapas to Bhagavān Śiva, sees Śiva and Pārvatī, and then stays for a time at Kailāsa.

Bhagavān Kṛshṇa tells Mārkaṇḍeya how the endless liṅga of fire rose between Brahmā and Vishṇu, and how Bhagavān Śiva then showed himself to both.

The ṛshi Maṅkaṇaka dances for joy when plant sap flows from his wound, and Bhagavān Śiva shows him ash, his universal form, and the three tattvas.

Nandī, son of the ṛshi Śilāda, does Rudra-japa for three crores of repetitions, and Bhagavān Śiva then makes him lord of the gaṇas at Jāpyeśvara.

The Kūrma Purāṇa tells how Rāma crossed to Laṅkā by the Setu, set up a Śiva liṅga at its middle, and received Bhagavān Śiva's promise to dwell there for ever.

The muni Śaṅkukarṇa frees a piśāca at Kapardīśvara in Vārāṇasī, then offers a stotra to Bhagavān Śiva and merges into the liṅga.

Śveta clings to the Śivaliṅga at Kālañjara when Kāla comes for him, and Parameśvara strikes Kāla down with his left foot.

Bhagavān Vishṇu is born to Aditi as Vāmana, measures the three worlds in three paces, and sends Bali to Pātāla.

The Kūrma Purāṇa names Urvaśī's six sons by Purūravas, and tells how King Durgaya, after meeting Urvaśī, was freed of pāpa at Kāśī.

Bhagavān Nārāyaṇa takes the form of Varāha and lifts the sunken earth from the waters on his tusk.