Kurma Purana

खं ब्रह्म शून्यं प्रकृतिं निर्गुणं च

Space, Brahman, the void, primordial nature, and that which is without qualities—

तदन्तरा यत्प्रतिभाति तत्त्वम्

Whatever appears between them, that is the true essence.

प्रसीद भूताधिपते महेश

Be gracious, O Lord of beings, O Great God.

प्रसादयामो वयमेकमीशम्

We seek to propitiate the one Lord.

नमो ऽग्नये देव नमः शिवाय

Salutations to Agni, O god; salutations to Śiva.

संहृत्य परमं रूपं प्रकृतिस्थो ऽभवद् भवः

Having withdrawn the supreme form, Bhava became established in primordial nature.

दृष्ट्वा नारायणं देवं विस्मिता वाक्यमब्रुवन्

Seeing the god Nārāyaṇa, they spoke words of astonishment.

दृष्ट्वा ते परमं रूपं निर्वृताः स्म सनातन

Having seen your supreme form, O Eternal One, we are fulfilled.

अस्माकं जायते भक्तिस्त्वय्येवाव्यभिचारिणी

Unwavering devotion arises in us toward you alone.

भूयो ऽपि तव यन्नित्यं याथात्म्यं परमेष्ठिनः

Again, your eternal true nature, O Supreme Lord—

प्राहः गम्भीरया वाचा समालोक्य च माधवम्

They spoke with deep words, having beheld Mādhava.

वक्ष्यामीशस्य माहात्म्यं यत्तद्वेदविदो विदुः

I will declare the greatness of the Lord, which those who know the Vedas understand.

सर्वलोकैकसंहर्ता सर्वात्माहं सनातनः

I am the sole destroyer of all worlds; I am the eternal Self of all.

मध्ये चान्तः स्थितं सर्वं नाहं सर्वत्र संस्थितः

All is situated within the middle and the end, but I am not established everywhere.

ममैषा ह्युपमा विप्रा मायया दर्शिता मया

This is my analogy, O sages; it has been shown by me through my māyā.

प्रेरयामि जगत् कृत्स्नं क्रियाशाक्तिरियं मम

I impel the entire world; this power of action is mine.

सो ऽहं कालो जगत् कृत्स्नं प्रेरयामि कलात्मकम्

I am time; I impel the entire world, which is composed of time.

संहराम्येकरूपेण द्विधावस्था ममैव तु

I withdraw everything into a single form; yet, in truth, these two states are my own.

क्षोभयामि च सर्गादौ प्रधानपुरुषावुभौ

At the beginning of creation, I stir both Pradhāna and Puruṣa.

महदादिक्रमेणैव मम तेजो विजृम्भते

Through the sequence beginning with Mahat, my radiance unfolds.

हिरण्यगर्भो मार्तण्डः सो ऽपि मद्देहसंभवः

Hiraṇyagarbha, the Sun, is also born from my own body.

दत्तवानात्मजान् वेदान् कल्पादौ चतुरो द्विजाः

At the start of the cycle, he gave the four Vedas to his own sons, the twice-born.

दिव्यं तन्मामकैश्वर्यं सर्वदा वहति स्वयम्

That divine power, my sovereignty, he always bears himself.

भूत्वा चतुर्मुखः सर्गं सृजत्येवात्मसंभवः

Becoming four-faced, he creates the world, having arisen from himself.

ममैव परमा मूर्तिः करोति परिपालनम्

My supreme form alone performs the act of preservation.

मदाज्ञयासौ सततं संहरिष्यति मे तनुः

By my command, that form of mine always brings about dissolution.

पाकं च कुरुते वह्निः सो ऽपि मच्छक्तिचोदितः

And fire performs cooking, indeed impelled by my power.

वैश्वानरो ऽग्निर्भगवानीश्वरस्य नियोगतः

Vaiśvānara, the divine fire, acts by the command of the Lord.

सो ऽपि संजीवयेत् कृत्स्नमीशस्यैव नियोगतः

He too enlivens all, solely by the Lord's command.