Adhyaya 7

Verse 1

इति श्रीकूर्मपुराणे षट्साहस्त्र्यां संहितायामुपरिविभागे (ईश्वरगीतासु) षष्ठो ऽध्यायः ईश्वर उवाच शृणुध्वमृषयः सर्वे प्रभावं परमेष्ठिनः / यं ज्ञात्वा पुरुषो मुक्तो न संसारे पतेत् पुनः

Thus, in the Śrī Kūrma Purāṇa, in the six-thousand-verse compendium, in the latter division—within the Īśvara-gītā—begins the sixth chapter. The Lord said: “Listen, all you sages, to the majesty of Parameṣṭhin. Knowing Him, a person becomes liberated and does not fall again into worldly existence.”

Verse 2

परात् परतरं ब्रह्म शाश्वतं निष्कलं ध्रुवम् / नित्यानन्दं निर्विकल्पं तद्धाम परमं मम

Beyond the beyond is Brahman—eternal, partless, and unshakable; ever-blissful, free from all conceptual distinctions. That supreme abode is Mine.

Verse 3

अहं ब्रह्मविदां ब्रह्मा स्वयंभूर्विश्वतोमुखः / मायाविनामहं देवः पुराणो हरिरव्ययः

For the knowers of Brahman, I am Brahmā—the Self-born One, the All-faced, present in every direction. I am the Lord, wielder of Māyā; the Ancient One—Hari, the Imperishable.

Verse 4

योगिनामस्म्यहं शंभुः स्त्रीणां देवी गिरीन्द्रजा / आदित्यानामहं विष्णुर्वसूनामस्मि पावकः

Among yogins, I am Śambhu (Śiva); among women, I am the Goddess Girīndrajā (Pārvatī). Among the Ādityas, I am Viṣṇu; and among the Vasus, I am Pāvaka (Agni), the purifying fire.

Verse 5

रुद्राणां शङ्करश्चाहं गरुडः पततामहम् / ऐरावतो गजेन्द्राणां रामः शस्त्रभृतामहम्

Among the Rudras I am Śaṅkara; among flying beings I am Garuḍa. Among the lordly elephants I am Airāvata; among weapon-bearers I am Rāma.

Verse 6

ऋषीणां च वसिष्ठो ऽहं देवानां च शतक्रतुः / शिल्पिनां विश्वकर्माहं प्रह्लादो ऽस्म्यमरद्विषाम्

Among sages I am Vasiṣṭha; among the gods I am Śatakratu (Indra). Among craftsmen I am Viśvakarman; and among those hostile to the immortals I am Prahlāda.

Verse 7

मुनीनामप्यहं व्यासो गणानां च विनायकः / वीराणां वीरभद्रो ऽहं सिद्धानां कपिलो मुनिः

Among sages I am Vyāsa; among the gaṇas I am Vināyaka. Among heroic beings I am Vīrabhadra; among the perfected siddhas I am the sage Kapila.

Verse 8

पर्वतानामहं मेरुर्नक्षत्राणां च चन्द्रमाः / वज्रं प्रहरणानां च व्रतानां सत्यमस्म्यहम्

Among mountains I am Meru; among the stars I am the Moon. Among weapons I am the thunderbolt Vajra; and among vows (vrata) I am Truth—such am I.

Verse 9

अनन्तो भोगिनां देवः सेनानीनां च पावकिः / आश्रमाणां च गार्हस्थमीश्वराणां महेश्वरः

Among serpentine beings (bhogins) I am Ananta; among commanders I am Fire. Among the āśramas I am the householder state (gārhasthya); and among rulers I am Maheśvara.

Verse 10

महाकल्पश्च कल्पानां युगानां कृतमस्म्यहम् / कुबेरः सर्वयक्षाणां गणेशानां च वीरकः

Among the kalpas I am the Great Kalpa; among the yugas I am the Kṛta (Satya) Yuga. Among all Yakṣas I am Kubera, and among the hosts of Gaṇeśas I am Vīraka.

Verse 11

प्रजापतीनां दक्षो ऽहं निरृतिः सर्वरक्षसाम् / वायुर्बलवतामस्मि द्वीपानां पुष्करो ऽस्म्यहम्

Among the Prajāpatis I am Dakṣa; among all the Rākṣasas I am Nirṛti. Among the mighty I am Vāyu, the Wind; and among the dvīpas (islands) I am Puṣkara.

Verse 12

मृगेन्द्राणां च सिंहो ऽहं यन्त्राणां धनुरेव च / वेदानां सामवेदो ऽहं यजुषां शतरुद्रियम्

Among the lords of beasts, I am the lion; among instruments and implements, I am the bow. Among the Vedas, I am the Sāmaveda; and among the Yajus-mantras, I am the Śatarudriya.

Verse 13

सावित्री सर्वजप्यानां गुह्यानां प्रणवो ऽस्म्यहम् / सूक्तानां पौरुषं सूक्तं ज्येष्ठसाम च सामसु

Among all mantras fit to be recited, I am the Sāvitrī (Gāyatrī); among the secret formulas, I am the Praṇava (Oṃ). Among the hymns, I am the Pauruṣa Sūkta; and among the Sāman-chants, I am the Jyeṣṭha-sāman.

Verse 14

सर्ववेदार्थविदुषां मनुः स्वायंभुवो ऽस्म्यहम् / ब्रह्मावर्तस्तु देशानां क्षेत्राणामविमुक्तकम्

Among those who truly know the meaning of all the Vedas, I am Svāyambhuva Manu; among countries I am Brahmāvarta, and among sacred pilgrimage-fields I am Avimuktaka.

Verse 15

विद्यानामात्मविद्याहं ज्ञानानामैश्वरं परम् / भूतानामस्म्यहं व्योम सत्त्वानां मृत्युरेव च

Among all branches of learning, I am Self-knowledge; among kinds of knowledge, I am the supreme knowledge of the Lord (Īśvara). Among beings, I am space itself; and among living creatures, I am death indeed.

Verse 16

पाशानामस्म्यहं माया कालः कलयतामहम् / गतीनां मुक्तिरेवाहं परेषां परमेश्वरः

Among bonds, I am Māyā; among those who reckon and regulate, I am Time. Among all destinations, I alone am Liberation; and among the highest realities, I am the Supreme Lord.

Verse 17

यच्चान्यदपि लोके ऽस्मिन् सत्त्वं तेजोबलाधिकम् / तत्सर्वं प्रतिजानीध्वं मम तेजोविजृम्भितम्

Whatever else in this world is endowed with superior goodness, brilliance, and strength—know all of that to be the expansive manifestation of My divine splendour.

Verse 18

आत्मानः पशवः प्रोक्ताः सर्वे संसारवर्तिनः / तेषां पतिरहं देवः स्मृतः पशुपतिर्बुधैः

All individual selves are declared to be ‘bound beings’ (paśu), moving within the round of transmigration. Of them, I—the Divine Lord—am remembered by the wise as Paśupati, the Lord of the paśus.

Verse 19

मायापाशेन बध्नामि पशूनेतान् स्वलीलया / मामेव मोचकं प्राहुः पशूनां वेदवादिनः

By My own play I bind these beings—who are like bound souls—within the noose of Māyā; and the Veda-knowers declare that I alone am the Liberator of those bound souls.

Verse 20

मायापाशेन बद्धानां मोचको ऽन्यो न विद्यते / मामृते परमात्मानं भूताधिपतिमव्ययम्

For those bound by the noose of Māyā, no other liberator exists—except Me, the Supreme Self, the imperishable Lord of all beings.

Verse 21

चतुर्विंशतितत्त्वानि माया कर्म गुणा इति / एते पाशाः पशुपतेः क्लेशाश्च पशुबन्धनाः

The twenty-four principles (tattvas), along with māyā, karma, and the guṇas—these are the fetters (pāśas) that bind the individual soul (paśu). They are also the afflictions (kleśas) that constitute the soul’s bondage in relation to Paśupati, the Lord of beings.

Verse 22

मनो बुद्धिरहङ्कारः खानिलाग्निजलानि भूः / एताः प्रकृतयस्त्वष्टौ विकाराश्च तथापरे

Mind (manas), intellect (buddhi), and ego-sense (ahaṅkāra); space, air, fire, water, and earth—these are proclaimed as the eight prakṛtis, the constituents of material Nature. Likewise, there are other principles that are its transformations (vikāras).

Verse 23

श्रोत्रं त्वक्चक्षुषी जिह्वा घ्राणं चैव तु पञ्चमम् / पायूपस्थं करौ पादौ वाक् चैव दशमी मता

The ear, the skin, the two eyes, the tongue, and the nose are the five organs of perception. The anus and the genitals, the hands and the feet, and speech are held to be the tenth—thus the ten faculties are taught.

Verse 24

शब्दः स्पर्शश्च रूपं च रसो गन्धस्तथैव च / त्रयोविंशतिरेतानि तत्त्वानि प्राकृतानि तु

Sound, touch, form, taste, and smell—these indeed are among the principles. Altogether, these are the twenty-three tattvas that arise from Prakṛti (material Nature).

Verse 25

चतुर्विंशकमव्यक्तं प्रधानं गुणलक्षणम् / अनादिमध्यनिधनं कारणं जगतः परम्

The unmanifest Pradhāna (avyakta), characterized by the guṇas, is the twenty-fourth principle. Without beginning, middle, or end, it is the supreme causal ground of the universe.

Verse 26

सत्त्वं रजस्तमश्चेति गुणत्रयमुदाहृतम् / साम्यावस्थितिमेतेषामव्यक्तं प्रकृतिं विदुः

Sattva, rajas, and tamas—these are declared to be the three guṇas. When they abide in equilibrium, that state is called the Unmanifest (avyakta), which the wise understand to be Prakṛti, primordial Nature.

Verse 27

सत्त्वं ज्ञानं तमो ऽज्ञानं रजो मिश्रमुदाहृतम् / गुणानां बुद्धिवैषम्याद् वैषम्यं कवयो विदुः

Sattva is declared to be knowledge, tamas to be non-knowledge, and rajas a mixed condition. The wise know that the diversity of mental dispositions arises from the unequal predominance of these guṇas.

Verse 28

धर्माधर्माविति प्रोक्तौ पाशौ द्वौ बन्धसंज्ञितौ / मय्यर्पितानि कर्माणि निबन्धाय विमुक्तये

Dharma and adharma are said to be two nooses, both known as bonds. Actions offered to Me become, for one, a cause of bondage—and for another, the very means of liberation.

Verse 29

अविद्यामस्मितां रागं द्वेषं चाभिनिवेशकम् / क्लेशाख्यानचलान् प्राहुः पाशानात्मनिबन्धनान्

Ignorance, ego-sense, attachment, aversion, and the clinging to life—these are taught as the five afflictions (kleśas), the unshakable bonds (pāśas) by which the Self becomes bound.

Verse 30

एतेषामेव पाशानां माया कारणमुच्यते / मूलप्रकृतिरव्यक्ता सा शक्तिर्मयि तिष्ठति

For these very bonds (pāśas), Māyā is said to be the cause. That unmanifest Root-Nature (mūla-prakṛti) is My power, and it abides in Me.

Verse 31

स एव मूलप्रकृतिः प्रधानं पुरुषो ऽपि च / विकारा महदादीनि देवदेवः सनातनः

He alone is the root Nature (mūla-prakṛti), the Pradhāna, and also the Puruṣa; and the evolutes beginning with Mahat are His transformations—He is the eternal God of gods.

Verse 32

स एव बन्धः स च बन्धकर्ता स एव पाशः पशवः स एव / स वेद सर्वं न च तस्य वेत्ता तमाहुरग्र्यं पुरुषं पुराणम्

He alone is bondage, and He alone is the maker of bondage. He alone is the noose (pāśa), and He alone is the bound soul (paśu). He knows all, yet none can know Him. Therefore the wise proclaim Him the foremost, primeval Person (Purusha).