Kurma Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 69

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

Devanagari script

प्रशान्तं सौम्यवदनमनन्ताश्चर्यसंयुतम् / चन्द्रावयवलक्ष्माणं चन्द्रकोटिसमप्रभम्

Transliteration

praśāntaṃ saumyavadanamanantāścaryasaṃyutam / candrāvayavalakṣmāṇaṃ candrakoṭisamaprabham

Translation

He was utterly serene, with a gentle and gracious face, endowed with endless, wondrous excellences—marked with the beauty of moonlike features, and shining with a radiance equal to ten million moons.

Word by Word

• प्रशान्तम्: peaceful, tranquil
• प्रशान्तम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: praśānta (प्रातिपदिक; √śam past-participle adj)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन

• सौम्य-वदनम्: with a gentle face
• सौम्य-वदनम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: saumya (प्रातिपदिक) + vadana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारय: ‘gentle-faced’

• अनन्त-आश्चर्य-संयुतम्: endowed with infinite marvels
• अनन्त-आश्चर्य-संयुतम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ananta (प्रातिपदिक) + āścarya (प्रातिपदिक) + saṃyuta (प्रातिपदिक; √yuj past-participle adj)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष: ‘endowed with endless wonders’

• चन्द्र-अवयव-लक्ष्माणम्: bearing moon-like features
• चन्द्र-अवयव-लक्ष्माणम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: candra (प्रातिपदिक) + avayava (प्रातिपदिक) + lakṣmāṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष: ‘having the marks/features of the moon’s parts’ (moon-like features)

• चन्द्र-कोटि-सम-प्रभम्: radiant like crores of moons
• चन्द्र-कोटि-सम-प्रभम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: candra (प्रातिपदिक) + koṭi (प्रातिपदिक) + sama (प्रातिपदिक) + prabhā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष: ‘having radiance equal to crores of moons’

Speaker

Narrator within the Ishvara Gita frame (describing the vision of the Supreme Lord as taught by Lord Kurma)

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Characters & Entities

• Ishvara (Supreme Lord)
• Kurma (Vishnu-Kurma as teacher in Ishvara Gita)
• Moon (Candra)

More Details (4 sections)

FAQs

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

By portraying the Lord as perfectly tranquil and supremely radiant, the verse points to the Atman/Ishvara as śānta (peace itself) and self-luminous (svayaṃ-prakāśa), apprehended in contemplative vision rather than through ordinary perception.

What Yoga or Meditative practices are highlighted here?

The verse supports dhyāna-yoga: steady contemplation on a serene, auspicious form (saumya-vadana) and on divine tejas (candra-koṭi-sama-prabhā). Such form-based meditation is aligned with Pāśupata-oriented devotion where the mind is absorbed in Ishvara’s peaceful majesty.

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

Though the imagery is of Ishvara’s universal splendor, the Ishvara Gita’s synthesis treats the Supreme as one reality approached through multiple theistic languages—allowing Shaiva (Ishvara/Pashupati) and Vaishnava (Kurma/Vishnu) devotion to converge in a single meditative focus.