Kurma Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 71

Dakṣa-yajña-bhaṅgaḥ — Dadhīci’s Teaching and the Destruction of Dakṣa’s Sacrifice

Devanagari script

विशेषात् पार्वतीं देवीमीश्वरार्धशरीरिणीम् / स्तोत्रैर्नानाविधैर्दक्षः प्रणम्य च कृताञ्जलिः

Transliteration

viśeṣāt pārvatīṃ devīmīśvarārdhaśarīriṇīm / stotrairnānāvidhairdakṣaḥ praṇamya ca kṛtāñjaliḥ

Translation

وعلى وجه الخصوص، انحنى دكشا ويداه مضمومتان، وقدّم أناشيد شتّى في تمجيد الإلهة بارفتي، الساكنة كنصف جسد إيشڤارا (أردهناريشڤارا).

Word by Word

• विशेषात्: especially
• विशेषात्: क्रियाविशेषण (Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विशेष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग (contextual), पञ्चमी (5th/पञ्चमी), एकवचन (Singular); अव्ययीभावार्थे (ablative used adverbially): ‘especially’

• पार्वतीम्: Pārvatī
• पार्वतीम्: कर्म (Karma/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पार्वती (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन (Singular)

• देवीम्: the goddess
• देवीम्: कर्म (Karma/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन (Singular); अप्पोज़िशन/समानााधिकरणं पार्वतीम् प्रति

• ईश्वरार्धशरीरिणीम्: whose body is half of Īśvara
• ईश्वरार्धशरीरिणीम्: विशेषण (Viśeṣaṇa/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ईश्वर-अर्ध-शरीरिणी (प्रातिपदिक; ईश्वर + अर्ध + शरीरिणी)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (Feminine), द्वितीया (2nd/द्वितीया), एकवचन (Singular); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः: ‘ईश्वरस्य अर्धं शरीरं यस्याः सा’ (half-bodied with the Lord)

• स्तोत्रैः: with hymns
• स्तोत्रैः: करण (Karaṇa/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्तोत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन (Plural); करण (instrumental: ‘with hymns’)

• नानाविधैः: of various kinds
• नानाविधैः: विशेषण (Viśeṣaṇa/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नाना-विध (प्रातिपदिक; नाना + विध)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter), तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन (Plural); स्तोत्रैः इति विशेषणम्

• दक्षः: Dakṣa
• दक्षः: कर्ता (Karta/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन (Singular)

• प्रणम्य: having bowed
• प्रणम्य: क्रियाविशेषण (Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्र-√नम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (Gerund/Absolutive): ‘having bowed’

• च: and
• च: समुच्चय (Samuccaya/समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• कृताञ्जलिः: with folded hands
• कृताञ्जलिः: कर्ता (Karta/कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृत-अञ्जलि (प्रातिपदिक; कृत + अञ्जलि)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (Masculine), प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन (Singular); कर्मधारय/तत्पुरुष-प्रायः: ‘कृतः अञ्जलिः येन’ = with hands joined

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic narration describing Dakṣa’s act of worship)

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shringara

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Characters & Entities

• Parvati
• Ishvara
• Ardhanarishvara
• Daksha

More Details (4 sections)

FAQs

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

By presenting Pārvatī as inseparable from Īśvara—literally the Lord’s half-body—the verse signals a non-dual metaphysics where the Supreme is one reality expressed as Consciousness (Īśvara) and Power (Śakti), not two competing principles.

What Yoga or Meditative practices are highlighted here?

The verse emphasizes bhakti as sādhana: praṇāma (prostration) and añjali (folded hands) accompanied by stotra-japa. In Kurma Purana’s Shaiva framework, such disciplined devotion purifies the mind and supports higher yogic steadiness aligned with Pāśupata-oriented practice.

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

Although explicitly Shaiva (Īśvara with Śakti), the Kurma Purana’s broader synthesis treats supreme divinity as one—worship of Īśvara-Śakti is compatible with Vaiṣṇava reverence, framing sectarian forms as unified expressions of the same ultimate reality.