Kurma Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 87

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

Devanagari script

मन्यन्ते ये जगद्योनिं विभिन्नं विष्णुमीश्वरात् / मोहादवेदनिष्ठत्वात् ते यान्ति नरकं नराः

Transliteration

manyante ye jagadyoniṃ vibhinnaṃ viṣṇumīśvarāt / mohādavedaniṣṭhatvāt te yānti narakaṃ narāḥ

Translation

মোহ আৰু অবিদ্যাৰ নিষ্ঠাৰ বাবে যিসকলে জগতৰ যোনি বিষ্ণুক ঈশ্বৰৰ পৰা পৃথক বুলি ভাবে, সেই নৰাসকল নৰকলৈ যায়।

Word by Word

• मन्यन्ते: think/consider
• मन्यन्ते: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मन् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, बहुवचन

• ये: who (those who)
• ये: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; सम्बन्धबोधक-यः

• जगद्-योनिम्: source of the world
• जगद्-योनिम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जगत् + योनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (जगतः योनिः)

• विभिन्नम्: separate/different
• विभिन्नम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि + भिद् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (विष्णुम्)

• विष्णुम्: Viṣṇu
• विष्णुम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• ईश्वरात्: from the Lord
• ईश्वरात्: Apadana (अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (अपादान), एकवचन

• मोहात्: from delusion
• मोहात्: Hetu (हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मोह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (हेतु/अपादान), एकवचन

• अवेद-निष्ठत्वात्: due to fixation on ignorance/non-knowledge
• अवेद-निष्ठत्वात्: Hetu (हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अवेद + निष्ठत्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (हेतु), एकवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुष (अवेदे निष्ठा यस्य तत्/अवेदे निष्ठा = अवेदनिष्ठा; तस्य भावः निष्ठत्वम्)

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन

• यान्ति: go
• यान्ति: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथम-पुरुष, बहुवचन

• नरकम्: hell
• नरकम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नरक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• नराः: men
• नराः: Apposition (सम्बोधन/अन्वय)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; अपपद-सम्बोधनार्थे ‘men’

Speaker

Lord Kurma (Vishnu) teaching the sages/Indradyumna in a Shaiva-Vaishnava synthesis context

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bhayanaka

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Characters & Entities

• Vishnu
• Ishvara
• Naraka

More Details (4 sections)

FAQs

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

It implies a single supreme Lord-principle (Īśvara) as the ultimate reality; perceiving a real separation in the supreme divinity (e.g., Viṣṇu versus Īśvara) is treated as ignorance that obstructs liberating knowledge.

What Yoga or Meditative practices are highlighted here?

The verse points to jñāna-oriented discipline: removing avidyā (non-knowledge) through right view (samyag-darśana) and steady contemplation on the one Īśvara, a foundation for Pāśupata-style devotion and inner purification taught in the Kurma tradition.

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

It rejects hard sectarian difference at the level of the Supreme: Viṣṇu as jagad-yoni is not other than Īśvara, reflecting the Kurma Purana’s Shaiva–Vaishnava synthesis that treats the highest Lord as one.