Kurma Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 6

Oṅkāra-Liṅga and the Secret Pañcāyatana Liṅgas of Kāśī: Kṛttivāseśvara-Māhātmya

Devanagari script

यत् तत् पाशुपतं ज्ञानं पञ्चार्थमिति शब्द्यते / तदेतद् विमलं लिङ्गमोङ्कारे समवस्थितम्

Transliteration

yat tat pāśupataṃ jñānaṃ pañcārthamiti śabdyate / tadetad vimalaṃ liṅgamoṅkāre samavasthitam

Translation

Cette connaissance pāśupata, dite « aux cinq sens », est cette même Réalité : le Liṅga sans tache, demeurant dans la syllabe Oṃ (Oṅkāra).

Word by Word

• यत्: which
• यत्: सम्बन्ध (Correlative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; relative pronoun

• तत्: that
• तत्: सम्बन्ध (Correlative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; demonstrative pronoun

• पाशुपतम्: Pāśupata (pertaining to Paśupati)
• पाशुपतम्: विशेषण (Adjectival qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पाशुपत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन

• ज्ञानम्: knowledge
• ज्ञानम्: कर्ता (Karta/Subject of passive ‘śabdyate’)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ज्ञान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन

• पञ्चार्थम्: the five meanings/principles
• पञ्चार्थम्: कर्म (Karma; predicate designation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पञ्च + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; द्विगुसमास

• इति: thus, as
• इति: वाक्य-सम्बन्ध (Quotative marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय—उद्धरण/इत्यर्थक (quotative particle)

• शब्द्यते: is called
• शब्द्यते: क्रिया (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: शब्द् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (present), कर्मणि प्रयोग (passive), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

• तत्: that
• तत्: विशेषण (Adjectival qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; demonstrative used adjectivally

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: विशेषण (Adjectival qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एतद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; demonstrative used adjectivally

• विमलम्: pure
• विमलम्: विशेषण (Adjectival qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विमल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन

• लिङ्गम्: liṅga, emblem
• लिङ्गम्: कर्ता (Karta/Subject; ‘liṅga’ as topic)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लिङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन

• ओङ्कारे: in Oṃkāra (the syllable Oṃ)
• ओङ्कारे: अधिकरण (Adhikaraṇa/Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ओङ्कार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7), एकवचन

• समवस्थितम्: well-established, abiding
• समवस्थितम्: विशेषण (Adjectival qualifier of liṅga)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम् + अव + स्था (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त—क्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; ‘well-established/abiding’

Speaker

Lord Kūrma (Viṣṇu) teaching in an Īśvara-Gītā style discourse

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Characters & Entities

• Paśupati (Śiva)
• Pāśupata-jñāna
• Pañcārtha (Fivefold categories)
• Liṅga
• Oṃkāra (Praṇava)

More Details (3 sections)

FAQs

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

It identifies the highest reality as the “stainless Liṅga” established in Oṃ—pointing to a pure, transcendent principle realized through sacred sound and inner knowledge rather than through external form alone.

What Yoga or Meditative practices are highlighted here?

The verse centers meditation on Praṇava (Oṃkāra) as the locus of the pure Liṅga, implying japa and contemplative absorption where Pāśupata-jñāna (the fivefold doctrinal insight) is internalized as direct yogic realization.

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

With Lord Kūrma (Viṣṇu) teaching Pāśupata doctrine and equating its essence with the pure Liṅga in Oṃ, the text presents a non-sectarian synthesis: the supreme is one, expressed through Śiva-symbolism (Liṅga) and upheld within a Vaiṣṇava narrative voice.