Kurma Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 56

Nine Creations (Sarga), Guṇa-Streams of Beings, and Brahmā’s Progeny in Cyclic Time

Devanagari script

सामानि जागतं छन्दस्तोमं सप्तदशं तथा / वैरूपमतिरात्रं च पश्चिमादसृजन्मुखात्

Transliteration

sāmāni jāgataṃ chandastomaṃ saptadaśaṃ tathā / vairūpamatirātraṃ ca paścimādasṛjanmukhāt

Translation

From the western mouth (of the Supreme Being) he brought forth the Sāman hymns, the Jagatī metre, the Chandastoma rite of seventeen stotras, and also the Vairūpa and Atirātra Soma-sacrifices.

Word by Word

• सामानि: Sāman chants
• सामानि: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सामन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/Nominative), बहुवचन

• जागतम्: the Jāgata (meter/chant)
• जागतम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जागत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifier)

• छन्दः-स्तोमम्: the collection of meters
• छन्दः-स्तोमम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: छन्दस् + स्तोम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (genitive determinative)

• सप्तदशम्: seventeenfold / the seventeenth
• सप्तदशम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सप्तदश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; संख्यावाचक-समास (dvigu)

• तथा: also, likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (adverb of manner)

• वैरूपम्: Vairūpa (a chant/rite)
• वैरूपम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वैरूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• अतिरात्रम्: Atirātra (overnight rite)
• अतिरात्रम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अतिरात्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चयबोधक निपात (conjunction)

• पश्चिमात्: from the western (side)
• पश्चिमात्: Apadana (अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पश्चिम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग (दिशावाचक), पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; दिशावाचक (directional)

• असृजत्: created, emitted
• असृजत्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सृज् (धातु)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect/past), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन

• मुखात्: from (his) mouth
• मुखात्: Apadana (अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुख (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी-विभक्ति (5th/Ablative), एकवचन

Speaker

Vyasa (narratorial voice) describing cosmic-ritual emanation in Purāṇic style

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Characters & Entities

• Sāman
• Jagatī
• Chandastoma
• Vairūpa
• Atirātra

More Details (4 sections)

FAQs

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

By portraying metres, hymns, and Soma-rites as emanating from a single cosmic source, the verse frames sacred sound and ritual order as expressions of one Supreme Reality that manifests the Vedic cosmos.

What Yoga or Meditative practices are highlighted here?

This verse is primarily ritual-cosmological rather than meditative; it supports a Kurma Purana theme that disciplined yajña (especially Soma structures like stomas and Atirātra) is a regulated path of inner and outer order that can complement later Yoga teachings.

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

Indirectly: by locating Vedic revelation and sacrificial structures in the one Supreme source revered across Shaiva-Vaishnava synthesis, it supports the Purāṇa’s non-sectarian stance that the same Lord grounds both devotion and Vedic dharma.