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

Naquirent Bharata, Lakṣmaṇa et le très puissant Śatrughna : tous, égaux à Indra au combat et investis de la śakti de Viṣṇu. Et le Créateur du monde lui-même prit naissance comme une part de Viṣṇu afin d’anéantir Rāvaṇa.

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.