Kurma Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 58

Kali-yuga Doṣas, the Supremacy of Rudra as Refuge, and the Closure of the Manvantara Teaching

Devanagari script

दृष्टवानसि तं देवं विश्वाक्षं विश्वतोमुखम् / प्रत्यक्षमेव सर्वेशं रुद्रं सर्वजगद्गुरुम्

Transliteration

dṛṣṭavānasi taṃ devaṃ viśvākṣaṃ viśvatomukham / pratyakṣameva sarveśaṃ rudraṃ sarvajagadgurum

Translation

Du hast jenen Gott geschaut—dessen Augen das Universum sind und dessen Antlitze in alle Richtungen blicken—du hast Rudra, den Herrn über alles, den Guru der ganzen Welt, unmittelbar gesehen.

Word by Word

• दृष्टवान्: having seen
• दृष्टवान्: Pradhāna-kriyābhāva (प्रधानक्रियाभाव)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश् (धातु) + क्तवत् (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्तवत्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), एकवचन; predicate with असि

• असि: you are
• असि: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd), एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• तम्: that / him
• तम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन

• देवम्: god
• देवम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; apposition to तम्

• विश्वाक्षम्: all-seeing
• विश्वाक्षम्: Karma (कर्म) (as qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विश्व-अक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिः: विश्वं अक्षि यस्य (whose eyes are everywhere / all-seeing)

• विश्वतोमुखम्: facing all directions
• विश्वतोमुखम्: Karma (कर्म) (as qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विश्वतः-मुख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; बहुव्रीहिः: विश्वतः मुखानि यस्य (having faces in all directions)

• प्रत्यक्षम्: directly
• प्रत्यक्षम्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रत्यक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् क्रियाविशेषण (used adverbially) ‘directly, before (your eyes)’

• एव: indeed
• एव: Avadhāraṇa (अवधारण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, अवधारणार्थक (emphatic particle)

• सर्वेशम्: Lord of all
• सर्वेशम्: Karma (कर्म) (apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व-ईश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः: सर्वेषां ईशः

• रुद्रम्: Rudra
• रुद्रम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: रुद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; apposition

• सर्वजगद्गुरुम्: teacher of the whole world
• सर्वजगद्गुरुम्: Karma (कर्म) (apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व-जगत्-गुरु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः: सर्वस्य जगतः गुरुः

Speaker

Narrator/teacher addressing the listener (Kurma Purana dialogue context affirming Rudra’s direct vision as Sarveśa)

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Characters & Entities

• Rudra
• Deva (Ishvara)

More Details (4 sections)

FAQs

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

By describing Rudra as viśvākṣa and viśvatomukha, the verse points to an all-pervading Lord whose awareness is not limited—suggesting the Supreme reality as immanent in the cosmos and directly knowable through realization (pratyakṣa).

What Yoga or Meditative practices are highlighted here?

The verse emphasizes pratyakṣa-darśana—direct experiential knowing of Īśvara—aligned with the Kurma Purana’s yogic aim of transforming devotion and discipline into immediate realization of the all-seeing Lord.

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

It presents Rudra as Sarveśa and Jagad-guru in a way typical of the Kurma Purana’s synthesis, where sectarian boundaries soften and the supreme Lord is affirmed through shared divine attributes (omnipresence, lordship, and guruhood).