Kurma Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 18

Ikṣvāku-vaṃśa (Genealogy) culminating in Rāma; Setu-liṅga Māhātmya; Continuation through Kuśa and Lava

Devanagari script

भरतो लक्ष्मणश्चैव शत्रुघ्नश्च महाबलः / सर्वे शक्रसमा युद्धे विष्णुशक्तिसमन्विताः / जज्ञे रावणनाशार्थं विष्णुरंशेन विश्वकृत्

Transliteration

bharato lakṣmaṇaścaiva śatrughnaśca mahābalaḥ / sarve śakrasamā yuddhe viṣṇuśaktisamanvitāḥ / jajñe rāvaṇanāśārthaṃ viṣṇuraṃśena viśvakṛt

Translation

Bharata, Lakṣmaṇa, and mighty Śatrughna were born—all equal to Indra in battle and endowed with the power of Viṣṇu. And for the destruction of Rāvaṇa, the Creator of the world himself took birth as a portion of Viṣṇu.

Word by Word

• bharataḥ: Bharata
• bharataḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bharata (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा, एकवचन, पुंलिङ्ग

• lakṣmaṇaḥ: Lakṣmaṇa
• lakṣmaṇaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: lakṣmaṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा, एकवचन, पुंलिङ्ग

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक (conjunction)

• eva: indeed
• eva: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण/निश्चयार्थक (emphatic particle)

• śatrughnaḥ: Śatrughna
• śatrughnaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śatrughna (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा, एकवचन, पुंलिङ्ग

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक (conjunction)

• mahābalaḥ: mighty
• mahābalaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahā (प्रातिपदिक) + bala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारयसमास (‘great strength’ → ‘mighty’); प्रथमा, एकवचन, पुंलिङ्ग

• sarve: all (of them)
• sarve: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन (Plural), पुंलिङ्ग

• śakra-samāḥ: equal to Indra
• śakra-samāḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śakra (प्रातिपदिक) + sama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमास (उपमान-तत्पुरुष: ‘equal to Śakra/Indra’); प्रथमा, बहुवचन, पुंलिङ्ग

• yuddhe: in battle
• yuddhe: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yuddha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सप्तमी (Locative/7th), एकवचन, नपुंसकलिङ्ग

• viṣṇu-śakti-samanvitāḥ: endowed with Viṣṇu’s power
• viṣṇu-śakti-samanvitāḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: viṣṇu (प्रातिपदिक) + śakti (प्रातिपदिक) + samanvita (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमास (instrumental/association sense: ‘endowed with Viṣṇu’s power’); samanvita = क्त-प्रत्ययान्त; प्रथमा, बहुवचन, पुंलिङ्ग

• jajñe: was born
• jajñe: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √jan (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन, आत्मनेपद

• rāvaṇa-nāśa-artham: for the destruction of Rāvaṇa
• rāvaṇa-nāśa-artham: Prayojana (प्रयोजन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: rāvaṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + nāśa (प्रातिपदिक) + artha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमास (चतुर्थी/षष्ठीभाव: ‘for the purpose of Rāvaṇa’s destruction’); द्वितीया (Accusative/2nd), एकवचन, पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग (artha-śabdaḥ पुंलिङ्ग; here adverbial accusative of purpose)

• viṣṇuḥ: Viṣṇu
• viṣṇuḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: viṣṇu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा, एकवचन, पुंलिङ्ग

• aṃśena: by a portion (of himself)
• aṃśena: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: aṃśa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचन, पुंलिङ्ग

• viśvakṛt: creator of the universe
• viśvakṛt: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: viśva (प्रातिपदिक) + √kṛ (धातु) → kṛt (कृदन्त)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमास (‘maker of the universe’); कृत्-प्रत्ययान्त (agent noun), प्रथमा, एकवचन, पुंलिङ्ग

Speaker

Narrator (Purāṇic narration, traditionally Sūta/compilers within the Kurma Purana frame)

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: vira

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Characters & Entities

• Bharata
• Lakshmana
• Shatrughna
• Shakra (Indra)
• Vishnu
• Ravana
• Vishvakrit (Creator)

More Details (4 sections)

FAQs

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

It frames the Supreme as capable of purposeful manifestation: the cosmic Lord (viśva-kṛt) appears as a viṣṇu-aṃśa (partial divine descent), indicating a transcendent reality that can assume forms to restore dharma without losing its supremacy.

What Yoga or Meditative practices are highlighted here?

No explicit yogic technique is taught in this verse; instead it supplies the theological basis for sādhanā—devotion and contemplation of the Lord’s avatāra as a dharma-restoring power, a theme that later supports Kurma Purana’s broader yoga-śāstra and Pāśupata-oriented discipline.

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

Directly it centers on Viṣṇu’s śakti and avatāra-purpose; indirectly, within the Kurma Purana’s Shaiva–Vaishnava synthesis, such divine power (śakti) and world-guidance is understood as compatible with Īśvara theology that the text often presents in a non-sectarian, harmonizing way.