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Kurma Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 5

Dvīpa-Varṣa Vibhāga and the Priyavrata–Agnīdhra Lineage

Cosmic Geography and Royal Succession

सूत उवाच वक्ष्ये देवादिदेवाय विष्णवे प्रभविष्णवे / नमस्कृत्वाप्रमेयाय यदुक्तं तेन धीमता

sūta uvāca vakṣye devādidevāya viṣṇave prabhaviṣṇave / namaskṛtvāprameyāya yaduktaṃ tena dhīmatā

Sūta sprach: Nachdem ich mich vor Viṣṇu verneigt habe—dem Gott der Götter, dem allgegenwärtigen Herrn, dem Unermesslichen—werde ich nun berichten, was jener Weise gesprochen hat.

sūtaḥSūta
sūtaḥ:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootsūta (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन
uvācasaid
uvāca:
Kriyā (क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootvac (धातु)
Formलिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद
vakṣyeI shall tell
vakṣye:
Kriyā (क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootvac (धातु)
Formलृट् (Simple Future), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद
deva-ādi-devāyato the first of gods
deva-ādi-devāya:
Sampradāna (सम्प्रदान)
TypeNoun
Rootdeva (प्रातिपदिक) + ādi (प्रातिपदिक) + deva (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/चतुर्थी), एकवचन; षष्ठी/तत्पुरुषसमास (देवानाम् आदिः देवः)
viṣṇaveto Viṣṇu
viṣṇave:
Sampradāna (सम्प्रदान)
TypeNoun
Rootviṣṇu (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/चतुर्थी), एकवचन
prabha-viṣṇaveto the mighty Viṣṇu
prabha-viṣṇave:
Sampradāna (सम्प्रदान)
TypeNoun
Rootprabha (प्रातिपदिक) + viṣṇu (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/चतुर्थी), एकवचन; कर्मधारय (प्रभुः/प्रभावान् विष्णुः)
namaskṛtvāhaving bowed/saluted
namaskṛtvā:
Pūrvakāla-kriyā (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootnamas + kṛ (धातु)
Formक्त्वान्त (absolutive/gerund), अव्यय; पूर्वक्रिया ‘having saluted’
aprameyāyato the immeasurable one
aprameyāya:
Sampradāna (सम्प्रदान)
TypeAdjective
Rootaprameya (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th/चतुर्थी), एकवचन; विशेषण (viṣṇoḥ)
yatwhat (that which)
yat:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootyad (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक सर्वनाम
uktamsaid, spoken
uktam:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeVerb
Rootvac (धातु)
Formक्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; कर्मणि प्रयोगे ‘said’
tenaby him
tena:
Karaṇa (करण)
TypeNoun
Roottad (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; सर्वनाम
dhīmatāby the wise one
dhīmatā:
Karaṇa (करण)
TypeAdjective
Rootdhīmat (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; विशेषण (tena)

Sūta

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: bhakti

S
Sūta
V
Vishnu

FAQs

By calling Viṣṇu “aprameya” (immeasurable), the verse points to the Supreme as beyond ordinary measurement and conceptual grasp—an indicator of the transcendence associated with Brahman/Ātman in Purāṇic Vedānta.

No specific technique is taught in this verse; it establishes the yogic attitude of reverence (namas) and disciplined listening (śravaṇa) as prerequisites for receiving higher teachings later associated with Kurma Purana’s yoga-dharma and synthesis traditions.

While Śiva is not named here, the verse sets a non-sectarian Purāṇic tone: the teaching is transmitted with devotion to the Supreme Lord (here addressed as Viṣṇu), consistent with the Kurma Purana’s broader pattern of harmonizing supreme divinity across Shaiva-Vaishnava frameworks.