Kurma Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 22

Virocana–Bali, Aditi’s Tapas, and the Vāmana–Trivikrama Episode

Devanagari script

नमस्ते सहस्त्रार्कचन्द्राभमूर्ते नमो वेदविज्ञानधर्माभिगम्य / नमो देवदेवादिदेवादिदेव प्रभो विश्वयोने ऽथ भूयो नमस्ते

Transliteration

namaste sahastrārkacandrābhamūrte namo vedavijñānadharmābhigamya / namo devadevādidevādideva prabho viśvayone 'tha bhūyo namaste

Translation

Salutations to You whose form shines like a thousand suns and moons. Salutations to You who are attainable through the Vedas, through true knowledge, and through Dharma. Salutations to You—the God of gods, the primal God among gods. O Lord, womb and source of the universe—once again, salutations to You.

Word by Word

• नमः: salutation
• नमः: Kriya (क्रिया/Salutation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नमस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• ते: to you
• ते: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान/Recipient)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: चतुर्थी, एकवचन

• सहस्र-अर्क-चन्द्र-आभ-मूर्ते: O one whose form has the radiance of a thousand suns and moons
• सहस्र-अर्क-चन्द्र-आभ-मूर्ते: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन/Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सहस्र (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्क (प्रातिपदिक) + चन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक) + आभ (प्रातिपदिक) + मूर्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन; 'सहस्रार्कचन्द्राणाम् आभा यस्य सः' इत्यर्थे बहुव्रीह्यर्थसम्भवः, परन्तु रूपेण 'आभमूर्ति' तत्पुरुषवत्; voc. मूर्ते

• नमः: salutation
• नमः: Kriya (क्रिया/Salutation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नमस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• वेद-विज्ञान-धर्म-अभिगम्य: O one approachable through Veda, knowledge, and dharma
• वेद-विज्ञान-धर्म-अभिगम्य: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन/Address)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वेद (प्रातिपदिक) + विज्ञान (प्रातिपदिक) + धर्म (प्रातिपदिक) + अभिगम्य (कृदन्त; √गम् धातु, यत्/ण्यत् with अभि-)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन; विशेषण: 'वेदविज्ञानधर्मैः अभिगम्यः' (attainable through Veda, knowledge, and dharma)

• नमः: salutation
• नमः: Kriya (क्रिया/Salutation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नमस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• देव-देव-अदि-देव-अदि-देव: O God of gods, primal god, primal god
• देव-देव-अदि-देव-अदि-देव: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन/Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक) + देव (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक) + देव (प्रातिपदिक) + आदि (प्रातिपदिक) + देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन; बहुपद-तत्पुरुष: 'देवानां देवः, देवस्य आदिः देवः, देवस्य आदिः देवः' (emphatic epithet)

• प्रभो: O Lord
• प्रभो: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन/Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रभु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन

• विश्व-योने: O source of the universe
• विश्व-योने: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन/Address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विश्व (प्रातिपदिक) + योनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन; 'विश्वस्य योनिḥ' (source/origin)

• अथ: then, and
• अथ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Discourse connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, अवधान/अनन्तरार्थक (particle: then/and now)

• भूयः: again
• भूयः: Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण/Adverbial)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: भूयस् (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय, क्रियाविशेषण

• नमः: salutation
• नमः: Kriya (क्रिया/Salutation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नमस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• ते: to you
• ते: Sampradana (सम्प्रदान/Recipient)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: चतुर्थी, एकवचन

Speaker

A devotee/sage offering a stuti (hymn) within the Purva-bhaga narration (praise addressed to the Supreme Lord, understood in Kurma Purana as the Shaiva–Vaishnava synthesis of Īśvara).

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Characters & Entities

• Vedas
• Dharma
• Devadeva
• Vishvayoni

More Details (4 sections)

FAQs

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

It presents the Supreme as the luminous cosmic Lord—“source-womb of the universe”—who is knowable through Veda, realized knowledge (vijñāna), and dharma, implying a transcendent yet accessible Īśvara grounding all existence.

What Yoga or Meditative practices are highlighted here?

The verse points to a triad of disciplines aligned with Kurma Purana spirituality: scriptural contemplation (Veda), inner realization/discriminative insight (vijñāna—akin to jñāna-yoga and meditative discernment), and dharmic living (ethical and ritual order), which together mature devotion into direct approach to Īśvara.

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

By using the title “Devādideva” and describing the one Lord as the universal source, it supports the Kurma Purana’s non-sectarian synthesis: the highest Īśvara praised is beyond narrow division and can be understood through both Shaiva and Vaishnava theological lenses.