Kurma Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 23

Time-Reckoning (Kāla-gaṇanā): Yugas, Manvantaras, Kalpas, and Prākṛta Pralaya

Devanagari script

यो ऽतीतः सप्तमः कल्पः पाद्म इत्युच्यते बुधैः / वाराहो वर्तते कल्पः तस्य वक्ष्यामि विस्तरम्

Transliteration

yo 'tītaḥ saptamaḥ kalpaḥ pādma ityucyate budhaiḥ / vārāho vartate kalpaḥ tasya vakṣyāmi vistaram

Translation

The seventh kalpa that has passed is known by the wise as the Pādma (Lotus) Kalpa. The Vārāha (Boar) Kalpa is now in progress; I shall describe its details at length.

Word by Word

• यः: which
• यः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; सम्बन्धवाचक सर्वनाम (relative pronoun)

• अतीतः: past; elapsed
• अतीतः: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अति + इ (धातु)
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘passed/elapsed’

• सप्तमः: seventh
• सप्तमः: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: saptama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; क्रमवाचक (ordinal)

• कल्पः: kalpa
• कल्पः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kalpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• पाद्मः: Pādma (Lotus)
• पाद्मः: Samānādhikaraṇa (समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pādma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण (name of kalpa)

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उद्धरणसूचक (quotative)

• उच्यते: is called
• उच्यते: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), कर्मणि प्रयोग (Passive), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• बुधैः: by the wise
• बुधैः: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: budha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

• वाराहः: Vārāha (Boar)
• वाराहः: Samānādhikaraṇa (समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vārāha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण (name of kalpa)

• वर्तते: is current; proceeds
• वर्तते: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वृत् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• कल्पः: kalpa
• कल्पः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kalpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• तस्य: of it
• तस्य: Shashthi-sambandha (षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, षष्ठी, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• वक्ष्यामि: I will tell
• वक्ष्यामि: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future), परस्मैपद, उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन

• विस्तरम्: in detail; the extent
• विस्तरम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vistara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

Speaker

Sūta (narrator) speaking to the sages (Naimiṣāraṇya frame), introducing the current Kalpa context

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: vira

Characters & Entities

• Pādma Kalpa
• Vārāha Kalpa

More Details (4 sections)

FAQs

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

Indirectly: it situates the teaching within cyclical cosmic time (kalpa), implying that the enduring spiritual principle (Atman/Ishvara) is understood against changing creation-cycles rather than as a product of them.

What Yoga or Meditative practices are highlighted here?

None explicitly in this verse; it functions as a cosmological transition. In the Kurma Purana, such kalpa-framing commonly precedes dharma and yoga teachings (including later Pashupata-oriented instruction) by setting the temporal and cosmic backdrop.

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

Not directly; the verse is cosmological. However, by naming the Vārāha Kalpa (a Vishnu-associated kalpa) within a Purana known for Shaiva–Vaishnava synthesis, it supports a unified puranic worldview where sectarian forms operate within one cosmic order.