#6B8E23 Dr. R. Nagaswamy 01-Jan-2007 The 26th chapter of the Kūrma purāna is important in connection with the study of Krishna. It speaks of Kriṣhṇa getting initiated in Pāśupata system, to do penance and worship Śiva, for obtaining a son. He went to the hermitage (āśrama) of the sage Upamanyu which was full of yogis and different kinds of birds, animals, trees, flowers and creepers. The āśrama hermitage had a number of tanks with pure water. There were also ārāmas and temples dedicated to gods. There were ṛiṣhis and munigaṇas, who were reciting Vedas, and performing agnihōtras. They were worshippers of Śiva in linga form, who were Pāśupatas who smeared their bodies with sacred ashes, and recited 'Sri Rudra' (hymn). Some of them had their head shaved off while others had matted locks (jaṭilas). Some had their tufts tied in different ways. Viṣhṇu with four arms, wielding śankha, cakra, and gadā, and riding on Garuḍa arrived at the āśrama, known as as Siddhāśrama. Viṣhṇn offered reverence to the sages duly. The sages, who were called as Brahma-vādins, were surprised to see Lord Nārāyāṇa himself amidst them, discussed among themselves that how the lord, who was the supreme Puruṣhōttama, who himself was the creator, protector, and destroyer and formless god, and who is also the god in form, came to their āśrama. Viṣhṇu went quietly to the riverside, performed oblations to gods, Ṛishis, and ancestors, and worshipped the lingas installed by many saints on the river banks. Then he reached the āśrama of the sage Upamanyu. The surprised Upamanyu extolled Kṛiṣhṇa and said that “You are the supreme soul of this entire universe; the great yogins of the world try to reach you through penance. What brought such a great soul here?” With a smile on his face, Kṛiṣhṇa replied that he had come here to see Lord Śiva, the Umāpati, and requested the sage to tell him how to behold him in a short time. Sage Upamanyu told Kṛiṣhṇa that one could see Umāpati by devotion and penance in his āśrama, as several great men have obtained earlier. Upamanyu narrated the achievements of some such great men. The following were the sages who attained such vision. The sage Vasiṣhṭa received "Mahēśvara yoga" there and beheld Īśvara by performing severe penance. The sage Vyāsa did penance in that āśrama and obtained sons; worshipping Śiva and Umādevī there, many reached fearless state. Sāvarṇī worshipped Mahādēva, obtained yoga, became a great author and compiled the 'Kūrma purāṇa', consisting of 12,000 verses and was known as "Dvi-aṣhṭa-sāhaśrikā-samhitā" and the latter "Vāyaviya Samhitā". The disciples of Vaisampāyana established the 'Vāyavīya saṁhitā' there; the great mahāyogi, Yājñavalkhya propitiated Śiva through penance and composed the unparalleled text on "yoga-śāstra". So Upamanyu adviced Kṛiṣhṇa to worship Śiva in his āśrama to behold Īśvara and obtain what ever was his prayer. Having narrated this history of the āśrama, Upamanyu taught "Pāśsupata-yoga-vrata" to Kṛiṣhṇa. Kṛiṣhṇa shaved his head, smeared his body with sacred ashes, and wore bark garments, and meditating on Śiva, started worshipping him in that āśrama. Śiva appeared before Kṛiṣhṇa with his consort Umā , clad in tiger’s skin wearing kirīṭa, gadā, citramāla, piṇāki bow, śūla. Kirīṭinam gadinam citramālam Piṇākinam śūlinam dēvadēvam Sārdūla carmāmbara samsrtāryam Dēvyā mahādevam asau dadarśa Prabhum Purāṇam Puruṣham purastāt samātanum yoginam Īśitāram Aṇoranīyāmśam ananta śaktim Paramēśvaram Śambhum asau dadarśa Pārśvadāśakta karam Trinetram Nṛsimha bhasmāvrta carma gātram Samudgirantam praṇavam bṛhantam sahaśra sūrya pratimam dadarśa. Tadanvapaśyat giriśasya vāme svātmānam avyaktam ananta rūpam Stuvantam īśam bahubhir vacōbhih śankha asi cakrānvita hastam ādyam Kṛtāñjalim dakṣhiṇatah surēśam hamsādhirūḍham puruṣham dadarśa Smithānanam Īśasya param Prabhāvam Pitāmaham loka gurum divistham Gaṇēśvarān arka-sahaśra kalpān Nandiśvarādīn amita prabhāvān Triloka bhartuh puratah anva-paśyat Kumāram agni-pratimam apaśyat. This description of Śiva seen by Viṣhṇu captures graphically a rare iconographic form. Śiva is said to wear partially the attributes of Viṣhṇu like 'kirīṭa', wearing beautiful jewels (citra-mālā) and gadā. He also held his bow piṇāka and triśūla and was clad in tiger’s skin and also silken garment. He also carried paraśu and had the sacred ash smeared over his body that was also covered with the man-lion skin. He was sounding the great 'praṇava - Omkāra' and was shining like thousand suns - Viṣhṇu also saw on the left of Śiva his own self holding śankha, cakra, gada and sword in his hands. The description portrays Harihara svarūpa with his consort the Devi. To the right of Śiva stood Brahmā with folded hands on a swan. Also stood in front Nandīśvara and Gaṇeśvaras; there also stood Gaṇēśa and Kumāra resembling Agni (as he is Āgneya). The description is a clear allusion to the Liṅgodbhava form, from which emanated the great sound "Om". The sacred ash the lord was wearing suggest the "Pāśupata vṛata". It must be remebered that Kṛiṣhṇa was initiated by sage Upamanyu for the attainment of "Pāśupata jñāna" . Interestingly the form he saw in the liṅga was part of his own self which emphasizes the unity of Śiva and Viṣhṇu Viṣhṇu seeing this great form of Śiva, started praising with great prayers as “thou art Brahmā, Viṣhṇu, Rudra, (creator and destroyer of this universe!) The learned call you Ṛishi; Thou stayeth in the orbit of sun (dinakara maṇḍala adhīśvarah). Sānkhyas worship Thee as aguṇa (devoid of qualities) and adore thee residing in the heart of Vedas as yoga ”. A few other names with which Śiva was addressed also deserve notice here. Nīlakaṇṭa, Mahādēva, Muṇḍa and Daṇḍin (shaven head, and wilder of daṇḍa) holder of Vajra, Bhairava-nāda, Vanhirētas, Ambikāpati, Vyōma-rūpa, Naranāri-śarīra, Sānkhya-yoga pravartaka, (giver of Sānkhya system), Dēvānugata liṅgin, Kumāra-guru, Yajñādhipati, Mṛga-vyādha, Haṁsa, Yogin, Prāṇa-pāla, Jyōtiṣhām-pati etc. When Śiva heard all these praises, he held Kriṣhṇa in his hand, and said “Kṛiṣhṇa you are the supreme, you are the fulfiller of all desires, nothing in this world exist without you; you are Ananta, Nārāyaṇa, you are Parameśvara, Mahādeva, you are my own part as Nārāyaṇa and are Mahāyogi. What is it that I can offer you? Devi Umā who was standing by Śiva's side said – “look you are myself there is no difference between you and me. You receive all that you want from your ownself that is me? You receive Iśvara-prāṇa, Iśvara-bhakti and svarga”. As Kṛiṣhṇa was moving around this hermitage worshipping Śiva, Garuḍa came from Dvāravati and requested Kṛiṣhṇa to return to Dvāravati. Kṛiṣhṇa returned and started worshipping Śiva in linga form there. The residents of Dvāravati were surprised and asked him why he the supreme was worshipping a linga. With a smile on his face Kṛiṣhṇa told them, I have nothing else to obtain and yet I worship Śiva in linga form. A few people do not understand the root of their own self out of delusion and in order to remind them my root I worship Śiva. There is nothing but linga worship that would bestow spiritual merit. For the goodness of the world I am worshipping linga. The Vedic seers call me that linga. I that linga, worship my own self, Śiva. His is the supreme self and I am that; there is no difference between us. The Vedas declare the same." This passage from Kūrma purāṇa is an excellent example that reflects the essence of Hinduism and shows the inseparable unity of Śiva and Viṣhṇu in linga. This is not the only purāna to emphasize the identity of Śiva, Viṣhṇu and Brahmā. Every purāṇa irrespective of its affiliation as Śaiva or Vaiṣhṇava or Śākta, invariably mention they are one and the same. Both the epics Rāmāyaṇa and Mahābhārata speak in the same language. Any interpretation leading to exclusivism is totally against the spirit and essence of Indian religion.