Kurma Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 70

Invocation, Purāṇa Lakṣaṇas, Kurma at the Samudra-manthana, and Indradyumna’s Liberation Teaching

Iśvara-Gītā Prelude

Devanagari script

निर्गुणाय नमस्तुभ्यं निष्कलायामलात्मने / पुरुषाय नमस्तुभ्यं विश्वरूपाय ते नमः

Transliteration

nirguṇāya namastubhyaṃ niṣkalāyāmalātmane / puruṣāya namastubhyaṃ viśvarūpāya te namaḥ

Translation

Ehrerbietung Dir, dem Eigenschaftslosen (nirguṇa), dem Ungeteilten, dem makellosen, reinen Selbst. Ehrerbietung Dir, dem höchsten Puruṣa. Ehrerbietung Dir, dessen Gestalt Viśvarūpa ist, die Form des ganzen Universums.

Word by Word

• nirguṇāya: to the attributeless (one)
• nirguṇāya: Sampradāna (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nirguṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Dative (4th/चतुर्थी), Singular

• namaḥ: salutation
• namaḥ: Prayojana/भाव (उपपद-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: namas (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Avyaya (अव्यय), salutation particle; with dative

• tubhyam: to you
• tubhyam: Sampradāna (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvad (युष्मद्-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Pronoun, Dative (4th/चतुर्थी), Singular

• niṣkalāya: to the partless (one)
• niṣkalāya: Sampradāna (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: niṣkala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Dative (4th/चतुर्थी), Singular

• amala-ātmane: to the pure Self
• amala-ātmane: Sampradāna (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: amala (प्रातिपदिक) + ātman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Dative (4th/चतुर्थी), Singular; karmadhāraya: 'pure-souled'

• puruṣāya: to the Person (Puruṣa)
• puruṣāya: Sampradāna (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: puruṣa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Dative (4th/चतुर्थी), Singular

• namaḥ: salutation
• namaḥ: Prayojana/भाव (उपपद-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: namas (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Avyaya (अव्यय), salutation particle

• tubhyam: to you
• tubhyam: Sampradāna (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvad (युष्मद्-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Pronoun, Dative (4th/चतुर्थी), Singular

• viśva-rūpāya: to the universal-formed
• viśva-rūpāya: Sampradāna (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: viśva (प्रातिपदिक) + rūpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Dative (4th/चतुर्थी), Singular; tatpuruṣa: 'whose form is the universe'

• te: to you
• te: Sampradāna (सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvad (युष्मद्-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Pronoun, Dative (4th/चतुर्थी), Singular

• namaḥ: salutation
• namaḥ: Prayojana/भाव (उपपद-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: namas (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Avyaya (अव्यय), salutation particle

Speaker

A narrator/traditional invocatory voice (mangalācaraṇa) praising the Supreme Lord identified with Hari/Iśvara in the Kurma Purana’s Shaiva–Vaishnava synthesis

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Characters & Entities

• Puruṣa
• Viśvarūpa
• Ātman (implied)
• Nirguṇa Brahman (implied)

More Details (3 sections)

FAQs

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

It presents the Supreme as nirguṇa (beyond qualities) and niṣkala (partless), yet as amala-ātman (the perfectly pure Self), indicating a transcendental Consciousness that is untouched by material attributes.

What Yoga or Meditative practices are highlighted here?

The verse supports contemplative Yoga that alternates between nirguṇa-dhyāna (meditation on the attributeless, partless Self) and viśvarūpa-bhāvanā (seeing the cosmos as the Lord’s form), aligning devotion with non-dual insight.

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

By praising one Supreme Iśvara as both transcendent (nirguṇa, niṣkala) and immanent (viśvarūpa), it reflects the Kurma Purana’s non-sectarian stance where Hari and Śiva are understood as expressions of the same ultimate Reality.