Kurma Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 162

Devī-tattva, Śakti–Śaktimān doctrine, Kāla–Māyā cosmology, and Māheśvara Yoga instruction

Devanagari script

शङ्खिनी पद्मिनी सांख्या सांख्ययोगप्रवर्तिका / चैत्रा संवत्सरारूढा जगत्संपूरणीन्द्रजा

Transliteration

śaṅkhinī padminī sāṃkhyā sāṃkhyayogapravartikā / caitrā saṃvatsarārūḍhā jagatsaṃpūraṇīndrajā

Translation

She is Śaṅkhinī; she is Padminī; she is Sāṃkhyā, the very initiatrix of Sāṃkhya and Yoga. She is Caitrā, mounted upon the cycle of the year; she plenishes the universe, and she is Indrajā—the power born of Indra.

Word by Word

• शङ्खिनी: Śaṅkhinī (conch-bearing; name)
• शङ्खिनी: Karta (कर्ता/Subject—नाम)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शङ्खिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; नाम/विशेषण (fem. nom. sg.)

• पद्मिनी: Padminī (lotus-associated; name)
• पद्मिनी: Karta (कर्ता/Subject—नाम)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पद्मिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; नाम/विशेषण (fem. nom. sg.)

• सांख्या: Sāṃkhyā (name; related to Sāṃkhya)
• सांख्या: Karta (कर्ता/Subject—नाम)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सांख्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; नाम (Sāṃkhyā)

• सांख्य-योग-प्रवर्तिका: promoter of Sāṃkhya and Yoga
• सांख्य-योग-प्रवर्तिका: Karta (कर्ता/Subject—नामविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सांख्य (प्रातिपदिक) + योग (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रवर्तिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषसमासः (one who sets in motion Sāṃkhya and Yoga / the Sāṃkhya-Yoga)

• चैत्रा: Caitrā (name)
• चैत्रा: Karta (कर्ता/Subject—नाम)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चैत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; नाम (fem. nom. sg.)

• संवत्सर-आरूढा: mounted upon the year
• संवत्सर-आरूढा: Karta (कर्ता/Subject—नामविशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: संवत्सर (प्रातिपदिक) + आरूढ (कृदन्त, √रुह्)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (क्त) ‘आरूढ’ (mounted/ascended) + तत्पुरुषः (mounted on the year)

• जगत्-संपूरणी-इन्द्रजा: Indra-born, the fulfiller of the world
• जगत्-संपूरणी-इन्द्रजा: Karta (कर्ता/Subject—नाम)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जगत् (प्रातिपदिक) + संपूरणी (प्रातिपदिक) + इन्द्रजा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुषसमासः (Indra-born who fills the world)

Speaker

Lord Kurma (Vishnu) instructing in the Ishvara Gita style on divine principles and epithets of Shakti

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Characters & Entities

• Shankhini
• Padmini
• Sankhya
• Sankhya-Yoga
• Caitra
• Samvatsara
• Indra

More Details (4 sections)

FAQs

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

By personifying Sāṃkhya and the impulse toward Yoga as Śakti, the verse implies that liberating knowledge and disciplined practice arise from the Supreme’s own power—Atman realized through Sāṃkhya insight and Yogic integration rather than mere ritual alone.

What Yoga or Meditative practices are highlighted here?

The verse highlights the Sāṃkhya–Yoga stream: discriminative knowledge (viveka) leading into yogic steadiness. It frames Yoga as divinely “set in motion” by Śakti, aligning practice with cosmic order (saṃvatsara/time-dharma).

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

In the Kurma Purana’s synthetic theology, the same Supreme speaks as Kurma while teaching categories central to Shaiva-Pashupata and Yogic discourse; Śakti is presented as universal—supporting a non-sectarian, non-dual orientation where Shiva-Vishnu unity is expressed through shared metaphysics and Yoga.