Kurma Purana — Uttara Bhaga, Shloka 24

Yati-Āśrama: Bhikṣā-vidhi, Īśvara-dhyāna, and Prāyaścitta

Mahādeva as Non-dual Brahman

Devanagari script

यदन्तरे तद् गगनं शाश्वतं शिवमव्ययम् / यदंशस्तत्परो यस्तु स देवः स्यान्महेश्वरः

Transliteration

yadantare tad gaganaṃ śāśvataṃ śivamavyayam / yadaṃśastatparo yastu sa devaḥ syānmaheśvaraḥ

Translation

ما في باطن كل شيء هو الحقيقة الشبيهة بالسماء—أزلية، مباركة (شيفا)، غير فانية. والإله المتفاني في ذلك الأسمى، الذي هذا كله جزءٌ منه، هو حقًّا مهيشڤرا.

Word by Word

• yat: that which
• yat: Viśeṣya (विशेष्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्ति (Nom/Acc), एकवचन (correlative)

• antare: within/in the interior
• antare: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: antara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी विभक्ति (Locative/7th), एकवचन

• tat: that
• tat: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया विभक्ति (Nom/Acc), एकवचन

• gaganam: sky/space
• gaganam: Apposition (समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: gagana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति (Nominative/1st), एकवचन

• śāśvatam: eternal
• śāśvatam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śāśvata (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण

• śivam: auspicious
• śivam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śiva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण

• avyayam: imperishable
• avyayam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: avyaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण

• yat: whose/which
• yat: Viśeṣya (विशेष्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन (relative)

• aṃśaḥ: portion/part
• aṃśaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: aṃśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुँलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन

• tat-paraḥ: devoted to/centered on that
• tat-paraḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tat (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + para (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (तत्-पर), पुँलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषण

• yaḥ: who
• yaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुँलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन

• tu: indeed/but
• tu: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधान/विरोधार्थक-निपात (particle: but/indeed)

• saḥ: he
• saḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुँलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन

• devaḥ: god
• devaḥ: Apposition (समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुँलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन

• syāt: would be/is to be
• syāt: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: as (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• maheśvaraḥ: Mahā-īśvara, the Great Lord
• maheśvaraḥ: Predicate nominative (समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā (प्रातिपदिक) + īśvara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास (महान् ईश्वरः), पुँलिङ्ग, प्रथमा विभक्ति, एकवचन

Speaker

Lord Kūrma (Viṣṇu) instructing the sages/Indradyumna on the nature of Īśvara

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Characters & Entities

• Shiva
• Maheshvara
• Ishvara

More Details (4 sections)

FAQs

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

It presents the Supreme as the inner, all-pervading, space-like reality—eternal, auspicious (śiva), and imperishable—implying an immanent Absolute present within all beings.

What Yoga or Meditative practices are highlighted here?

The verse points to inward contemplation (antar-dhyāna) on the all-pervading, imperishable Īśvara—an orientation aligned with Pāśupata-leaning devotion where meditation is anchored in recognizing the Supreme within.

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

By defining the Supreme as “śiva” (auspicious Absolute) and naming the realized divine focus as Mahēśvara, while spoken in a Vaiṣṇava narrative voice (Kūrma), it models the Purāṇic synthesis where Śiva-tattva and Viṣṇu’s teaching converge on one Īśvara.