Kurma Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 34

Devī-tattva, Śakti–Śaktimān doctrine, Kāla–Māyā cosmology, and Māheśvara Yoga instruction

Devanagari script

तस्य सर्वजगत्सूतिः शक्तिर्मायेति विश्रुता / तयेदं भ्रामयेदीशो मायावी पुरुषोत्तमः

Transliteration

tasya sarvajagatsūtiḥ śaktirmāyeti viśrutā / tayedaṃ bhrāmayedīśo māyāvī puruṣottamaḥ

Translation

قوّتُه—التي بها يتولّد الكون كلّه—مشهورةٌ باسم «مايا». وبتلك المايا عينِها يُدير الربّ، الساحر العجيب لستار الوهم، «بوروشوتّما» هذا العالمَ في دوران الضلال.

Word by Word

• तस्य: of him
• तस्य: सम्बन्ध (Sambandha/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (Genitive), एकवचन

• सर्व-जगत्-सूतिः: the source of the entire universe
• सर्व-जगत्-सूतिः: कर्ता (Karta/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + जगत् (प्रातिपदिक) + सूति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमास (determinative): सर्वस्य जगतः सूतिः ‘source/bringing-forth of all the world’; स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• शक्तिः: power; energy
• शक्तिः: कर्ता (Karta/Subject apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• माया: Māyā
• माया: सम्बोधन/नामनिर्देश (Naming/Quotation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: माया (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन (इति-पूर्वक नामनिर्देश)

• इति: thus; as
• इति: सम्बन्ध (Quotation marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण/इत्यर्थक अव्यय (quotative particle)

• विश्रुता: well-known; renowned
• विश्रुता: कर्तृ-विशेषण (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि + श्रु (धातु) > विश्रुत (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘well-known’

• तया: by her; by that (power)
• तया: करण (Karaṇa/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (Instrumental), एकवचन

• इदम्: this (world)
• इदम्: कर्म (Karma/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• भ्रामयेत्: would delude; makes wander
• भ्रामयेत्: क्रिया (Kriyā/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भ्रम् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; causative sense ‘to cause to wander/delude’ (भ्रामय-)

• ईशः: the Lord
• ईशः: कर्ता (Karta/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ईश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• मायावी: possessing māyā; magical
• मायावी: कर्तृ-विशेषण (Adjective of subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मायाविन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘possessing māyā’

• पुरुषोत्तमः: the Supreme Person
• पुरुषोत्तमः: कर्ता (Karta/Subject apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरुष-उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमास: पुरुषाणाम् उत्तमः ‘best among persons’; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

Speaker

Lord Kurma (Vishnu) speaking within the Ishvara Gita discourse

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Characters & Entities

• Isha
• Purushottama
• Maya
• Shakti

More Details (3 sections)

FAQs

How does this verse explain the nature of the Supreme Self (Atman)?

It presents the Supreme (Purushottama/Isha) as the sovereign reality whose power (Shakti) manifests the cosmos; the apparent wandering of beings arises from Māyā, not from any limitation in the Supreme Self.

What Yoga or Meditative practices are highlighted here?

The verse underscores a key yogic discernment used in Ishvara Gita-style teaching: recognizing Māyā as the Lord’s operative power behind worldly fluctuation, which supports viveka (discrimination) and vairāgya (dispassion) foundational to Pashupata-oriented and theistic yogic practice.

How does this verse depict the relationship between Shiva and Vishnu?

By using the universal title “Īśa” alongside “Puruṣottama,” it frames the Supreme Lord in a way compatible with both Shaiva and Vaishnava theology—one sovereign reality whose Shakti (Māyā) governs cosmic manifestation.