Kurma Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 1

Cosmic Night, Nārāyaṇa as Brahmā, and the Varāha Raising of the Earth

Devanagari script

इति श्रीकूर्मपुराणे षट्साहस्त्र्यां संहितायां पूर्वविभागे पञ्चमो ऽध्यायः श्रीकूर्म उवाच आसीदेकार्णवं घोरमविभागं तमोमयम् / शान्तवातादिकं सर्वं न प्रज्ञायत किञ्चन

Transliteration

iti śrīkūrmapurāṇe ṣaṭsāhastryāṃ saṃhitāyāṃ pūrvavibhāge pañcamo 'dhyāyaḥ śrīkūrma uvāca āsīdekārṇavaṃ ghoramavibhāgaṃ tamomayam / śāntavātādikaṃ sarvaṃ na prajñāyata kiñcana

Translation

So heißt es im Śrī Kūrma Purāṇa, in der Sammlung von sechstausend Ślokas, im Ersten Teil (Pūrva-bhāga) — (Ende des vorigen Kapitels). Śrī Kūrma sprach: „Es war ein einziger, schrecklicher Ozean, ungeteilt und aus Dunkelheit gewoben. Alles war zur Ruhe gekommen—Wind und alles Übrige; nichts konnte erkannt werden.“

Word by Word

• iti: thus
• iti: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/quotative marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; quotation/closure particle (इति-प्रयोगः)

• śrīkūrmapurāṇe: in the Śrī Kūrma Purāṇa
• śrīkūrmapurāṇe: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śrī-kūrma-purāṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Singular; ग्रन्थ-नाम

• ṣaṭsāhastryām: in the six-thousand (verses) [collection]
• ṣaṭsāhastryām: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ṣaṭ-sāhastrī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Singular; संख्यापूर्वक-समास; qualifies saṃhitāyām

• saṃhitāyām: in the saṃhitā/compilation
• saṃhitāyām: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: saṃhitā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Singular

• pūrvavibhāge: in the former section
• pūrvavibhāge: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pūrva-vibhāga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Singular

• pañcamaḥ: fifth
• pañcamaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pañcama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; ordinal; qualifies adhyāyaḥ

• adhyāyaḥ: chapter
• adhyāyaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: adhyāya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular

• śrīkūrmaḥ: Śrī Kūrma
• śrīkūrmaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śrī-kūrma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; speaker name

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: Perfect (लिट्), 3rd Person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन); parasmaipada

• āsīt: there was
• āsīt: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: as (धातु)
• Form: Imperfect (लङ्), 3rd Person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन); parasmaipada

• ekārṇavam: a single ocean (primeval flood)
• ekārṇavam: Karma (कर्म)/Prātipadikārtha (predicate)
• Type: Noun
• Root: eka-arṇava (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular; predicate accusative with āsīt

• ghoram: terrible
• ghoram: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ghora (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular; qualifies ekārṇavam

• avibhāgam: undivided
• avibhāgam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: a-vibhāga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular; qualifies ekārṇavam

• tamomayam: consisting of darkness
• tamomayam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tamas-maya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular; 'made of darkness'; qualifies ekārṇavam

• śāntavātādikam: (with) calm wind and the like
• śāntavātādikam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śānta-vāta-ādika (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular; 'with calm wind etc.'; qualifies sarvam

• sarvam: everything
• sarvam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular; totality as object of cognition

• na: not
• na: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; negation particle (निषेध)

• prajñāyata: was known/was perceived
• prajñāyata: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: jñā (धातु)
• Form: Imperfect (लङ्), 3rd Person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन); ātmanepada; passive/impersonal sense 'was known'

• kiñcana: anything
• kiñcana: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kiñcana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular; used with negation = 'anything at all'

Speaker

Lord Kurma (Vishnu)

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: bhayanaka

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Characters & Entities

• Lord Kurma (Vishnu)
• Pralaya (cosmic dissolution)
• Ekarnava (primeval ocean)

More Details (4 sections)

FAQs

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

By describing a state where no distinctions are perceptible—an undifferentiated, unmanifest condition—it implies that names and forms are contingent, while the deeper ground of reality (Atman/Brahman) is beyond division and ordinary cognition.

What Yoga or Meditative practices are highlighted here?

The verse points to the archetype of nirodha (stilling): when “wind and the rest” are quieted, activity ceases. In Yogic terms, it gestures toward the inward dissolution of vṛttis and prāṇa-movements that precedes higher contemplation.

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

Although spoken by Lord Kurma (Vishnu), the imagery of dissolution and the stilling of cosmic functions aligns with Shaiva pralaya metaphysics as well, reflecting the Kurma Purana’s tendency to harmonize Vaishnava narration with Shaiva-Yogic doctrine.