[Advaita-l] The Kūrma purāṇa connection of Mahabharatha

[V Subrahmanian]

In the Mahabharata, during a conversation with Arjuna after the war,
Krishna says:

*http://tinyurl.com/mxbb8g2* <http://tinyurl.com/mxbb8g2>
मया त्वं रक्षितो युद्धे महान्तं प्राप्तवाञ्जयम्।।
यस्तु ते सोग्रतो याति युद्धे संप्रत्युपस्थिते।
तं विद्धि रुद्रं कौन्तेय देवदेवं कपर्दिनम्।।
कालः स एव विहितः क्रोधजेति मया तव।
निहतांस्तेन वै पूर्वं हतवानसि यान्रिपून्।।
अप्रमेयप्रभावं तं देवदेवमुमापतिम्।
नमस्व देवं प्रयतो विश्वेशं हरमक्षयम्।।
यश्च ते कथितः पूर्वं क्रोधजेति पुनः पुनः।
तस्य प्रभाव एवाग्रे यच्छ्रुतं ते धनंजय।।

The translation of these verses as available here:

http://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/m12/m12c042.htm

Protected by me in the great battle, thou hast won a great victory. That
Being whom, at the time of all thy battles, thou beheldest stalking in thy
van, know, O son of Kunti, is no other than Rudra, that god of gods,
otherwise called by the name of Kaparddin. *He is otherwise known by the
name of Kāla, *and should be known as one that has sprung from my wrath. *Those
foes whom thou hast slain were all, in the first instance, slain by him.* Do
thou bend thy head unto that god of gods, that lord of Umā, endued with
immeasurable puissance. With concentrated soul, do thou bend thy head unto
that illustrious Lord of the universe, that indestructible deity, otherwise
called by the name of Hara. He is none else than that deity who, as I have
repeatedly told thee, has sprung from my wrath. Thou hast, before this,
heard, O Dhananjaya, of the puissance and energy that reside in him!'”

The statement of Krishna about Shiva being born of the former's 'krodha'
has a background. In the Kūrma purāṇa Shiva gives a boon to Narayana that
he will be born as the latter's krodha:

अहं च भवतो वक्त्रात् कल्पान्ते घोररूपधृक् । [सुररूपधृक्]

शूलपाणिर्भविष्यामि क्रोधजस्तव पुत्रकः ॥

 [I will be born from your mouth at the end of the kalpa,with a fierce
form/divine form. I will become endowed with the śula weapon, born of your
wrath, as your son.]

There is a background to this statement of Shiva in the Kurmapurana:

*https://tinyurl.com/ycxher4l <https://tinyurl.com/ycxher4l>*

अयं मे दक्षिणे पार्श्वे ब्रह्मा लोकपितामहः ।
वामपार्श्वे च मे विष्णुः पालको हृदये हरः ।। २६.८९

प्रीतोऽहं युवयोः सम्यक् वरं दद्मि यथेप्सितम् ।
एवमुक्त्वाऽथ मां देवो महादेवः स्वयं शिवः ।२६.९०

[This Brahmā was born from my right side and Vishnu from my right. Hara
emerged from my heart.]

I am pleased with your devotion. I offer you boon that you desire.
ऊचतुः प्रेक्ष्य तद्वक्त्रं नारायणपितामहौ ।
यदि प्रीतिः समुत्पन्ना यदि देयो वरो हि न।२६.९२

भक्तिर्भवतु नौ नित्यं त्वयि देव महेश्वरे ।

Brahmā and Viṣṇu appealed to Shiva: If you are pleased with us bless us
that we shall be devoted to you.

After this Shiva says that he will be born to Vishnu as 'krodhaja'.

This verse has been pointed out by Sri Appayya Dikshita in his Mahabharata
sāra sangraha stotram.

Of course, the Mahabharata itself contains the creation of Brahmā and Viṣṇu
from the either sides of Shiva:

Mahabharata Anushasanika parva, Ch.45. Here Krishna says about Shiva that
from Shiva have Brahma, Vishnu and Rudra have emerged. I have not given the
translation of each verse:


योऽसृजद्दक्षिणादङ्गाद्ब्रह्माणं लोकसम्भवम् |
वामपार्श्वात्तथा विष्णुं लोकरक्षार्थमीश्वरः ||१८३||

One should also note that the term 'wrath' is no way derogatory.  It is a
necessity for the samhāra, dissolution/destruction, function along with the
creation and sustenance functions. So Brahman, assuming the respective
moods/emotions/gunas takes the form of the trimutis to carry out this
function. Brahman cannot do this without resorting to these gunas. By
default Brahman is nirgunam.

Om Tat Sat