Kurma Purana

The Kurma Purana (IAST: Kūrma Purāṇa) is one of the eighteen Mahapuranas, and a medieval era Vaishnavism text of Hinduism.^[1]^[2] The text is named after the tortoise avatar of Vishnu.^[3]^[4]

The manuscripts of Kurma Purana have survived into the modern era in many versions.^[5]^[6]^[7] The number of chapters vary with regional manuscripts, and the critical edition (edited by Anand Swarup Gupta, and published by the All-India Kashiraj Trust, Varanasi) of the Kurma Purana has 95 chapters.^[8] Tradition believes that the Kurma Purana text had 17,000 verses, the extant manuscripts have about 6,000 verses.^[9]

The text, states Ludo Rocher, is the most interesting of all the Puranas in its discussion of religious ideas, because while it is a Vaishnavism text, Vishnu does not dominate the text.^[10] Instead, the text covers and expresses reverence for Vishnu, Shiva and Shakti with equal enthusiasm.^[10]^[11] The Kurma Purana, like other Puranas, includes legends, mythology, geography, Tirtha (pilgrimage), theology and a philosophical Gita. The notable aspect of its Gita, also called the Ishvaragita, is that it is Shiva who presents ideas similar to those found in the Bhagavad Gita.^[10]^[12]

^ Dalal 2014, p. 460.
^ Rocher 1986, p. 186.
^ Dimmitt & van Buitenen 2012, p. 63, 74.
^ Bryant 2007, p. 18 note 25.
^ Rocher 1986, pp. 18, 184–186.
^ Wilson 1864, pp. xxxiv–xxxv.
^ Gregory Bailey (2003). Arvind Sharma (ed.). The Study of Hinduism. University of South Carolina Press. pp. 141–142. ISBN 978-1-57003-449-7.
^ Rocher 1986, p. 184.
^ K P Gietz 1992, p. 500 with note 2778.
^ ^a ^b ^c Rocher 1986, p. 185.
^ K P Gietz 1992, p. 903 with note 5221.
^ Cite error: The named reference nicholsonp3 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[FOOTNOTEDalal2014460-1] Dalal 2014, p. 460.

[FOOTNOTERocher1986186-2] Rocher 1986, p. 186.

[FOOTNOTEDimmittvan_Buitenen201263,_74-3] Dimmitt & van Buitenen 2012, p. 63, 74.

[FOOTNOTEBryant200718_note_25-4] Bryant 2007, p. 18 note 25.

[FOOTNOTERocher198618,_184–186-5] Rocher 1986, pp. 18, 184–186.

[FOOTNOTEWilson1864xxxiv–xxxv-6] Wilson 1864, pp. xxxiv–xxxv.

[Sharma2003GB141-7] Gregory Bailey (2003). Arvind Sharma (ed.). The Study of Hinduism. University of South Carolina Press. pp. 141–142. ISBN 978-1-57003-449-7.

[FOOTNOTERocher1986184-8] Rocher 1986, p. 184.

[FOOTNOTEK_P_Gietz1992500_with_note_2778-9] K P Gietz 1992, p. 500 with note 2778.

[FOOTNOTERocher1986185-10] Rocher 1986, p. 185.

[FOOTNOTEK_P_Gietz1992903_with_note_5221-11] K P Gietz 1992, p. 903 with note 5221.

[nicholsonp3-12] Cite error: The named reference nicholsonp3 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

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