Kurma Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 96

Adhyāya 25 — Liṅga-māhātmya (The Chapter on the Liṅga): Hari’s Śiva-Worship and the Fiery Pillar Theophany

Devanagari script

ततः स भगवानीशः प्रहसन् परमेश्वरः / उवाच मां महादेवः प्रीतः प्रीतेन चेतसा

Transliteration

tataḥ sa bhagavānīśaḥ prahasan parameśvaraḥ / uvāca māṃ mahādevaḥ prītaḥ prītena cetasā

Translation

Da lächelte der selige Herr—Īśa, der höchste Lenker—und sprach zu mir: Mahādeva, erfreut, redete mich mit einem Herzen voller Wonne an.

Word by Word

• tataḥ: then, thereafter
• tataḥ: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (क्रियाविशेषण) = indeclinable adverb; अर्थे: तस्मात्/ततः (thereupon)

• saḥ: he
• saḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; सर्वनाम = pronoun

• bhagavān: the Blessed Lord
• bhagavān: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bhagavat (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• īśaḥ: the Lord
• īśaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: īśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन

• prahasan: smiling, laughing
• prahasan: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra√has (धातु) + śatṛ (कृदन्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: वर्तमानकाले कृदन्त (शतृ), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; क्रियाविशेषणभावे = ‘while smiling/laughing’

• parameśvaraḥ: the Supreme Lord
• parameśvaraḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: parama + īśvara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्मधारय-समास (परमः ईश्वरः)

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• mām: to me
• mām: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उभयलिङ्ग/सर्वनाम, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• mahādevaḥ: Mahādeva (Śiva)
• mahādevaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā + deva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; कर्मधारय-समास (महान् देवः)

• prītaḥ: pleased
• prītaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pra√ī (धातु) + kta (कृदन्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; विशेषण

• prītena: with pleased (mind)
• prītena: Karana (करण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pra√ī (धातु) + kta (कृदन्त-प्रत्यय)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग/पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन; करण-भावे

• cetasā: with mind/heart
• cetasā: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: cetas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd), एकवचन

Speaker

Narrator (a first-person speaker recounting that Mahadeva spoke to him; Mahadeva/Parameshvara is the immediate speaker within the verse)

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Characters & Entities

• Isha
• Parameshvara
• Mahadeva (Shiva)

More Details (3 sections)

FAQs

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

It presents Īśa/Parameśvara as the personal Supreme who responds with conscious grace—implying the highest reality is not inert, but aware and capable of compassionate address to the seeker.

What Yoga or Meditative practices are highlighted here?

No specific technique is named in this verse; it emphasizes the inner condition that supports Yoga—prasāda (divine favor) and a mind softened by devotion—often treated in the Kurma Purana as the ground for disciplined practice (yama-niyama, dhyāna) elsewhere.

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

By using supreme epithets (Īśa, Parameśvara) alongside “Mahādeva,” the verse supports the Purāṇic non-sectarian tone where the Supreme is approached through Śiva-language while remaining compatible with broader Shiva–Vishnu unity themes in the Kurma Purana.