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Kurma Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 18

Cosmic Realms Above Dhruva, the Pātālas Below, and the Foundation of Pralaya

Ananta–Kāla

Devanagari script

शैलं रसातलं विप्राः शार्करं हि तलातलम् / पीतं सुतलमित्युक्तं नितलं विद्रुमप्रभम् / सितं हि वितलं प्रोक्तं तलं चैव सितेतरम्

Transliteration

śailaṃ rasātalaṃ viprāḥ śārkaraṃ hi talātalam / pītaṃ sutalamityuktaṃ nitalaṃ vidrumaprabham / sitaṃ hi vitalaṃ proktaṃ talaṃ caiva sitetaram

Translation

يا معشرَ البراهمة، يُقال إن رَساطَلَ صخريٌّ كالجبل، وإن تَلاتَلَ حقًّا حصويٌّ. وسوتَلَ موصوفٌ بالصفرة، ونِيتَلَ يلمع بضياءٍ كضياء المرجان. وأمّا وِيتَلَ فقد قيل إنه أبيض، وتَلَ لونه غيرُ البياض.

Word by Word
शैलम्(is) rocky/mountainous
शैलम्:
सम्बन्ध/विशेष्य (Appositional predicate)
TypeNoun
Rootशैल (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; Nominative/Accusative singular (predicate/apposition)
रसातलम्Rasātala (a netherworld)
रसातलम्:
विशेष्य (Topic/Name)
TypeNoun
Rootरसातल (प्रातिपदिक); components: रस + अतल
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; Nominative/Accusative singular; तत्पुरुषसमास
विप्राःO brāhmaṇas
विप्राः:
सम्बोधन (Address)
TypeNoun
Rootविप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; Vocative/Nominative plural; here संबोधन (address)
शार्करम्gravelly/stony
शार्करम्:
विशेषण (Qualifier)
TypeAdjective
Rootशार्कर (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; adjective used predicatively (qualifies तलातलम्)
हिindeed
हि:
निपात (Particle)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootहि (अव्यय)
Formनिपात; हेत्वर्थ/निश्चयार्थ (indeed/for)
तलातलम्Talātala (a netherworld)
तलातलम्:
विशेष्य (Topic/Name)
TypeNoun
Rootतलातल (प्रातिपदिक); components: तल + अतल
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; Nominative/Accusative singular; तत्पुरुषसमास
पीतम्yellow
पीतम्:
विशेषण (Qualifier)
TypeAdjective
Rootपीत (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्त from पा (धातु) → पीत, क्त)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; adjective ‘yellow’ used predicatively (qualifies सुतलम्)
सुतलम्Sutala
सुतलम्:
विशेष्य (Topic/Name)
TypeNoun
Rootसुतल (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; Nominative/Accusative singular
इतिthus
इति:
वाक्य-समाप्ति/उद्धरण (Quotation marker)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootइति (अव्यय)
Formउद्धरण/समाप्त्यर्थक अव्यय (quotative particle)
उक्तम्is said/called
उक्तम्:
कर्मणि-क्रिया (Passive predicate)
TypeVerb
Rootवच् (धातु) → उक्त (कृदन्त, क्त)
Formभूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; predicative ‘is said/called’
नितलम्Nitala
नितलम्:
विशेष्य (Topic/Name)
TypeNoun
Rootनितल (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; Nominative/Accusative singular (name of a region)
विद्रुमप्रभम्coral-hued / having coral-like radiance
विद्रुमप्रभम्:
विशेषण (Qualifier)
TypeAdjective
Rootविद्रुम-प्रभ (प्रातिपदिक); components: विद्रुम + प्रभ
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषसमास; adjective qualifying नितलम्
सितम्white
सितम्:
विशेषण (Qualifier)
TypeAdjective
Rootसित (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; adjective ‘white’ qualifying वितलम्
हिindeed
हि:
निपात (Particle)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootहि (अव्यय)
Formनिपात (indeed)
वितलम्Vitala
वितलम्:
विशेष्य (Topic/Name)
TypeNoun
Rootवितल (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; Nominative/Accusative singular
प्रोक्तम्is declared
प्रोक्तम्:
कर्मणि-क्रिया (Passive predicate)
TypeVerb
Rootप्र+वच् (धातु) → प्रोक्त (कृदन्त, क्त)
Formभूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; predicative ‘is declared’
तलम्Tala
तलम्:
विशेष्य (Topic/Name)
TypeNoun
Rootतल (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; Nominative/Accusative singular (name)
चand
च:
समुच्चय (Conjunctive)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootच (अव्यय)
Formसमुच्चयबोधक-निपात (conjunction)
एवindeed
एव:
अवधारण (Emphasis)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootएव (अव्यय)
Formअवधारणार्थक-निपात (emphasis)
सितेतरम्non-white / other than white (darkish)
सितेतरम्:
विशेषण (Qualifier)
TypeAdjective
Rootसित-इतर (प्रातिपदिक); components: सित + इतर
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषसमास; adjective qualifying तलम्
Speaker

Sūta (narrator) describing Purāṇic cosmic geography to the sages (Naimiṣāraṇya frame)

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Characters & Entities
R
Rasātala
T
Talātala
S
Sutala
N
Nitala
V
Vitala
T
Tala

FAQs

This verse does not teach Ātman directly; it maps the differentiated cosmic realms (pātāla-lokas). In the Kurma Purāṇa’s broader vision, such layered geography functions as a backdrop showing the ordered manifestation (vyavasthā) within which the Self remains unbound and transcendent.

No explicit yoga practice is taught in this verse. Indirectly, it supports dhyāna by providing a Purāṇic cosmographic schema often used for contemplative visualization of the cosmos before turning to higher disciplines such as Pāśupata-oriented devotion and inner restraint taught elsewhere in the text.

It does not explicitly mention Śiva or Viṣṇu; it is cosmographic. In the Kurma Purāṇa’s synthesis, such cosmology is presented as part of a single sacred order upheld by the same supreme reality revered through both Śaiva and Vaiṣṇava idioms.

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