Kurma Purana — Uttara Bhaga, Shloka 18

Prākṛta-pralaya, Pratisarga Doctrine, and the Ishvara-Samanvaya of Yoga and Devotion

Devanagari script

वैकारिकस्तैजसश्च भूतादिश्चेति सत्तमाः / त्रिविधो ऽयमहङ्कारो महति प्रलंय व्रजेत्

Transliteration

vaikārikastaijasaśca bhūtādiśceti sattamāḥ / trividho 'yamahaṅkāro mahati pralaṃya vrajet

Translation

O Bester der Tugendhaften, dieses Ich-Prinzip (ahaṅkāra) ist dreifach: sāttvisch (vaikārika), rājassisch (taijasa) und tamassisch (bhūtādi). Zur Zeit der Auflösung (pralaya) wird es in Mahat, den kosmischen Intellekt, wieder aufgenommen und kehrt in ihn zurück.

Word by Word

• वैकारिकाः: the vaikārika (type)
• वैकारिकाः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वैकारिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural)

• तैजसाः: the taijasa (type)
• तैजसाः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तैजस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-निपात (conjunction/particle)

• भूतादिः: the bhūtādi (the beginning/source of elements)
• भूतादिः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूत + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (genitive-determinative): भूतानाम् आदि:

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-निपात (conjunction/particle)

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण/समाप्त्यर्थक-अव्यय (quotative particle)

• सत्तमाः: O best of the good (noble ones)
• सत्तमाः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन (Plural); ‘सत्’ इत्यस्य उत्तम-प्रत्ययान्त (superlative)

• त्रिविधः: threefold
• त्रिविधः: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्रिविध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular); द्विगु/तत्पुरुष-भाव: त्रयः विधाः यस्य

• अयम्: this
• अयम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular); सर्वनाम (pronoun)

• अहङ्कारः: ego-principle (ahaṅkāra)
• अहङ्कारः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अहङ्कार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• महति: in the Mahat (cosmic intellect)
• महति: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन (Singular)

• प्रलयम्: dissolution
• प्रलयम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रलय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular)

• व्रजेत्: would go/merge
• व्रजेत्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: व्रज् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद

Speaker

Lord Kūrma (Vishnu) teaching cosmology in a Sāṅkhya-Yoga framework

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Characters & Entities

• Ahaṅkāra
• Mahat
• Pralaya

More Details (3 sections)

FAQs

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

It maps the dissolving of cosmic principles: ego (ahaṅkāra) resolves into Mahat at pralaya, implying that individuality is a contingent tattva rather than the ultimate Self; the Atman/Ishvara stands beyond these evolutes.

What Yoga or Meditative practices are highlighted here?

The verse supports tattva-viveka used in Yoga: by discerning ego as threefold and dissolvable, the practitioner weakens identification with guṇa-based personality and turns inward toward the witnessing consciousness emphasized in Kurma Purana’s Yoga teaching.

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

By presenting a shared Sāṅkhya-Yoga cosmology (tattvas, guṇas, pralaya), the text aligns Shaiva and Vaishnava metaphysics: the same supreme reality taught by Kūrma underlies the dissolution of ego and the path to liberation.