Kurma Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 84

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

Devanagari script

अनादिरव्यक्तगुहा महानन्दा सनातनी / आकाशयोनिर्योगस्था महायोगेश्वरेश्वरी

Transliteration

anādiravyaktaguhā mahānandā sanātanī / ākāśayoniryogasthā mahāyogeśvareśvarī

Translation

She is without beginning, hidden in the unmanifest as the secret depth of all; the Great Bliss, eternal. Born of the vast expanse of ākāśa, established in Yoga, she is the Supreme Mistress of Mahāyoga, the sovereign Yogēśvarī.

Word by Word

• anādiḥ: beginningless
• anādiḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: anādi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (m.), प्रथमा (Nom. 1), एकवचन; विशेषण (epithet)

• avyakta-guhā: having an unmanifest/hidden abode
• avyakta-guhā: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: avyakta (प्रातिपदिक) + guhā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (f.), प्रथमा (Nom. 1), एकवचन; ‘अव्यक्ता गुहा’ (hidden/imperceptible cave; secret)

• mahā-ānandā: great bliss
• mahā-ānandā: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahā (प्रातिपदिक) + ānanda (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (f.), प्रथमा (Nom. 1), एकवचन; ‘महान् आनन्दः’ (great bliss)

• sanātanī: eternal
• sanātanī: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sanātana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (f.), प्रथमा (Nom. 1), एकवचन

• ākāśa-yoniḥ: whose source is space
• ākāśa-yoniḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ākāśa (प्रातिपदिक) + yoni (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (f.), प्रथमा (Nom. 1), एकवचन; ‘आकाशः योनिः यस्याः’ (having space as source/womb)

• yoga-sthā: established in yoga
• yoga-sthā: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: yoga (प्रातिपदिक) + sthā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (f.), प्रथमा (Nom. 1), एकवचन; ‘योगे स्थिता’ (abiding in yoga)

• mahā-yoga-īśvara-īśvarī: sovereign over the Lord of great yoga
• mahā-yoga-īśvara-īśvarī: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā (प्रातिपदिक) + yoga (प्रातिपदिक) + īśvara (प्रातिपदिक) + īśvarī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (f.), प्रथमा (Nom. 1), एकवचन; ‘महायोगस्य ईश्वरस्य ईश्वरी’ (lady of the Lord of great yoga)

Speaker

Lord Kūrma (Viṣṇu) teaching in the Īśvara-gītā context

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Characters & Entities

• Mahāyogeśvarī (Supreme Goddess/Śakti)
• Īśvara (Lord of Yoga)
• Ākāśa (ether/space)
• Avyakta (the Unmanifest)

More Details (4 sections)

FAQs

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

By calling the Divine “beginningless” and “hidden in the unmanifest cave,” the verse points to the ultimate reality as pre-temporal, subtle, and inwardly realized—known not as an object, but as the secret ground of awareness and bliss (mahānandā).

What Yoga or Meditative practices are highlighted here?

The phrase “yogasthā” emphasizes steadiness in Yoga: interiorization into the ‘guhā’ (heart-cave), contemplation of the unmanifest (avyakta), and absorption in bliss—hallmarks of the Kurma Purana’s yogic theism aligned with Pāśupata-oriented discipline.

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

In the Īśvara-gītā setting, the Supreme is praised in a form that unites yogic lordship (Īśvara) and divine power (Īśvarī/Śakti), supporting the Kurma Purana’s synthesis where sectarian boundaries soften into a single supreme reality expressed through Śiva-Viṣṇu theology.