Kurma Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 23

Viṣṇu at Upamanyu’s Āśrama: Pāśupata Tapas, Darśana of Śiva, and Boons from Devī

Devanagari script

समीक्ष्य वासुदेवं तं शार्ङ्गशङ्खासिधारिणम् / तस्थिरे निश्चलाः सर्वे शुभाङ्गं तन्निवासिनः

Transliteration

samīkṣya vāsudevaṃ taṃ śārṅgaśaṅkhāsidhāriṇam / tasthire niścalāḥ sarve śubhāṅgaṃ tannivāsinaḥ

Translation

Als sie Vāsudeva erblickten, der den Śārṅga-Bogen, die Muschel und das Schwert trug, standen alle Bewohner jenes glückverheißenden Bereichs reglos da und schauten auf seine heilige Gestalt.

Word by Word

• समīkṣya: having looked at
• समīkṣya: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-ईक्ष् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund, क्त्वा-प्रत्यय), पूर्वकालिक क्रिया; धातु: ईक्ष्, उपसर्ग: सम्

• वासुदेवम्: Vāsudeva
• वासुदेवम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वासुदेव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/कर्म), एकवचन

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• शार्ङ्ग-शङ्ख-असि-धारिणम्: bearing the Śārṅga bow, conch, and sword
• शार्ङ्ग-शङ्ख-असि-धारिणम्: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण) of वासुदेवम्
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शार्ङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक) + शङ्ख (प्रातिपदिक) + असि (प्रातिपदिक) + धारिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुषः (उपपद-तत्पुरुषः) ‘शार्ङ्गं शङ्खं असिं च धारयति इति’

• तस्थिरे: stood
• तस्थिरे: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect/परोक्षभूत), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन

• निश्चलाः: motionless
• निश्चलाः: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण) of सर्वे
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निश्चल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), बहुवचन

• सर्वे: all
• सर्वे: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), बहुवचन

• शुभ-अङ्गम्: the auspicious-limbed one
• शुभ-अङ्गम्: Karma (कर्म) (object of implicit ‘ददृशुः/अवलोकयन्’ sense with समीक्ष्य)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुभ (प्रातिपदिक) + अङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः ‘शुभम् अङ्गम् यस्य’ (as epithet)

• तत्-निवासिनः: the residents of that place
• तत्-निवासिनः: Karta (कर्ता) (apposition to सर्वे)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + निवासिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), बहुवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः ‘तस्य निवासिनः’

Speaker

Sūta (narrator) describing the scene to the sages (Naimiṣāraṇya frame)

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Characters & Entities

• Vāsudeva
• Viṣṇu
• Śārṅga
• Śaṅkha (conch)
• Asi (sword)

More Details (4 sections)

FAQs

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

By portraying everyone becoming niścalāḥ (perfectly still) upon Vāsudeva’s vision, the verse points to the classical yogic insight that the presence of the Supreme draws the mind into steadiness—suggesting the Atman’s nature as शांत (peaceful) and स्थिर (unchanging).

What Yoga or Meditative practices are highlighted here?

The key cue is niścalatā—mental and bodily stillness—an effect associated with dhyāna and samādhāna (collectedness). In Kurma Purana’s broader spiritual frame, such steadiness supports both bhakti (reverent absorption) and yogic concentration aligned with dharma.

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

Though explicitly Vaishnava in iconography (Śārṅga, conch, sword), the verse’s emphasis is on the Supreme’s darśana producing yogic stillness—an experience equally valued in Shaiva-Pāśupata and Vaishnava contemplative traditions, reflecting Kurma Purana’s synthetic, non-sectarian tone.