Kurma Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 25

Yuga-Dharma: The Four Ages, Decline of Dharma, and the Rise of Social Order

Devanagari script

रसोल्लासा कालयोगात् त्रेताख्ये नश्यते ततः / तस्यां सिद्धौ प्रणष्टायामन्या सिद्धिरवर्तत

Transliteration

rasollāsā kālayogāt tretākhye naśyate tataḥ / tasyāṃ siddhau praṇaṣṭāyāmanyā siddhiravartata

Translation

Durch das Zusammenwirken des Einflusses der Zeit (Kāla) schwindet die Siddhi namens Rasollāsā im Zeitalter, das Tretā heißt. Wenn jene Siddhi verloren geht, tritt eine andere Siddhi an ihre Stelle und gewinnt die Oberhand.

Word by Word

• रसोल्लासा: delight/effulgence of rasa
• रसोल्लासा: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रस + उल्लासा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; (रसस्य उल्लासा) nominative singular

• कालयोगात्: due to the conjunction of time
• कालयोगात्: Hetu/Apadana (हेतु/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल + योग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; (कालस्य योगात्) ablative singular; हेत्वर्थ (cause)

• त्रेताख्ये: in the (age) called Tretā
• त्रेताख्ये: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रेता + आख्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; (त्रेता इति आख्यं यस्मिन् युगे) locative singular

• नश्यते: perishes/disappears
• नश्यते: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √नश् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (present), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

• ततः: thereafter
• ततः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; तस्मात्/तदनन्तरम् (adverb: then/thereafter)

• तस्याम्: in that (state/age)
• तस्याम्: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; pronoun locative singular (in that)

• सिद्धौ: when/with the siddhi (perfection)
• सिद्धौ: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सिद्धि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; locative singular

• प्रणष्टायाम्: having been destroyed (when it was destroyed)
• प्रणष्टायाम्: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रणष्ट (कृदन्त; √नश् + प्र, क्त)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति, एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (क्त), locative absolute with सिद्धौ (सप्तमी-सम्बन्ध)

• अन्या: another
• अन्या: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifying सिद्धिः)

• सिद्धिः: perfection/attainment
• सिद्धिः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सिद्धि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; nominative singular

• अवर्तत: arose/came to be
• अवर्तत: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √वृत् (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (imperfect/past), प्रथम-पुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद

Speaker

Lord Kūrma (Vishnu) instructing the sages/Indradyumna on yuga-dharma and time-driven changes in spiritual attainments

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: karuna

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Characters & Entities

• Kāla (Time)
• Tretā-yuga
• Siddhi (spiritual attainment)

More Details (3 sections)

FAQs

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

It implies that siddhis are time-conditioned phenomena—arising and vanishing under Kāla—whereas realization of the Self is not a yuga-bound power but the stable goal beyond such changing attainments.

What Yoga or Meditative practices are highlighted here?

The verse points to the Kurma Purana’s yogic framework where siddhis may appear as by-products of sādhana, yet they are not permanent; discipline (yama-niyama), devotion to Īśvara, and steadiness in practice are emphasized over chasing time-dependent powers.

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

By framing siddhi and dharma under the governance of Kāla and Īśvara, the text supports the Purana’s non-sectarian stance: the supreme lordship guiding yoga and dharma is presented in a unified way consistent with Shaiva-Vaishnava synthesis.