Kurma Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 32

Devī-tattva, Śakti–Śaktimān doctrine, Kāla–Māyā cosmology, and Māheśvara Yoga instruction

Devanagari script

कालः सृजति भूतानि कालः संहरते प्रजाः / सर्वे कालस्य वशगा न कालः कस्यचिद् वशे

Transliteration

kālaḥ sṛjati bhūtāni kālaḥ saṃharate prajāḥ / sarve kālasya vaśagā na kālaḥ kasyacid vaśe

Translation

Le Temps fait paraître les êtres; le Temps aussi retire toutes les créatures. Tous sont soumis à la souveraineté du Temps, mais le Temps n’est soumis à personne.

Word by Word

• कालः: Time
• कालः: कर्ता (Karta/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• सृजति: creates
• सृजति: क्रिया (Kriyā/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सृज् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• भूतानि: beings; elements
• भूतानि: कर्म (Karma/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (Accusative), बहुवचन

• कालः: Time
• कालः: कर्ता (Karta/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• संहरते: withdraws; destroys
• संहरते: क्रिया (Kriyā/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + हृ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; ‘draws together, withdraws’

• प्रजाः: creatures; subjects
• प्रजाः: कर्म (Karma/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रजा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• सर्वे: all (beings)
• सर्वे: कर्ता (Karta/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• कालस्य: of Time
• कालस्य: सम्बन्ध (Sambandha/Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (Genitive), एकवचन

• वशगाः: subject to; under the control (of)
• वशगाः: कर्तृ-विशेषण (Predicate adjective of subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वश-ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुषसमास: वशं गताः ‘gone under control’; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• न: not
• न: निषेध (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक अव्यय (negation particle)

• कालः: Time
• कालः: कर्ता (Karta/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• कस्यचित्: of anyone
• कस्यचित्: सम्बन्ध (Sambandha/Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक-प्रयोगे, षष्ठी (Genitive), एकवचन; अनिश्चितार्थ ‘of anyone’

• वशे: in (the) control; under sway
• वशे: अधिकरण (Adhikaraṇa/Locative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (Locative), एकवचन

Speaker

Lord Kurma (Vishnu) teaching in the Ishvara Gita context

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: bhayanaka

Characters & Entities

• Kāla (Time)

More Details (3 sections)

FAQs

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

By declaring that all beings are governed by Kāla, the verse points to a transcendent principle beyond ordinary agency; in Ishvara-Gita style teaching, true Self-realization involves seeing the perishable as time-bound while the highest reality stands as the unconditioned ground that is not compelled like created beings.

What Yoga or Meditative practices are highlighted here?

The verse supports vairāgya (dispassion) and steady contemplation: since arising and dissolution occur under Kāla, the practitioner is urged to detach from outcomes, stabilize the mind, and pursue knowledge-and-devotion (jñāna-bhakti) consistent with Pāśupata-oriented discipline taught in the Kurma Purana’s Ishvara Gita.

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

Though it names Kāla rather than a deity, the teaching aligns with the Purana’s synthesis: cosmic governance (often attributed to Maheshvara as Kāla and to Narayana as Lord of order) is presented as a single supreme sovereignty, supporting the non-sectarian Shaiva–Vaishnava unity tone of the Ishvara Gita.