Kurma Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 26

Cosmic Realms Above Dhruva, the Pātālas Below, and the Foundation of Pralaya

Ananta–Kāla

Devanagari script

पातालानामधश्चास्ते शेषाख्या वैष्णवी तनुः / कालाग्निरुद्रो योगात्मा नारसिंहो ऽपि माधवः

Transliteration

pātālānāmadhaścāste śeṣākhyā vaiṣṇavī tanuḥ / kālāgnirudro yogātmā nārasiṃho 'pi mādhavaḥ

Translation

Au-dessous des Pātālas se tient l’incarnation vaiṣṇava connue sous le nom de Śeṣa. Il est aussi Kālāgnirudra—Rudra, le Feu du Temps—dont l’essence est le Yoga; et il est encore Mādhava, se manifestant également en Nārasiṁha.

Word by Word

• पातालानाम्: of the Pātālas (nether worlds)
• पातालानाम्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाताल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन; Neuter, Genitive, Plural

• अधः: below
• अधः: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अधः (अव्यय)
• Form: देशवाचक-अव्यय (adverb of place)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• आस्ते: dwells/is situated
• आस्ते: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √आस् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (वर्तमान), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; Present indicative, 3rd person singular; आत्मनेपद

• शेष-आख्या: named Śeṣa
• शेष-आख्या: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शेष (प्रातिपदिक) + आख्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Feminine, Nominative, Singular (qualifying तनुः)

• वैष्णवी: Vaiṣṇavī
• वैष्णवी: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वैष्णवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Feminine, Nominative, Singular (qualifying तनुः)

• तनुः: form/body
• तनुः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तनु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• काल-अग्नि-रुद्रः: Kālāgnirudra
• काल-अग्नि-रुद्रः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल (प्रातिपदिक) + अग्नि (प्रातिपदिक) + रुद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Masculine, Nominative, Singular (apposition/predicate name)

• योगात्मा: whose nature is yoga / Yogātmā
• योगात्मा: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: योग (प्रातिपदिक) + आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Masculine, Nominative, Singular (apposition)

• नारसिंहः: Nārasiṃha
• नारसिंहः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नारसिंह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Masculine, Nominative, Singular (apposition)

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय/अपि-अव्यय (particle: also/even)

• माधवः: Mādhava
• माधवः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: माधव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Masculine, Nominative, Singular (apposition)

Speaker

Lord Kurma (Vishnu) instructing in Purāṇic cosmology and the unity of divine forms

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Characters & Entities

• Śeṣa
• Viṣṇu (Mādhava)
• Kālāgnirudra
• Rudra (Śiva-aspect)
• Nārasiṁha
• Pātāla (netherworlds)

More Details (4 sections)

FAQs

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

It presents one Supreme reality manifesting through multiple names and functions—support (Śeṣa), dissolution/time-fire (Kālāgnirudra), yogic consciousness (yogātmā), and protective avatāra power (Nārasiṁha)—implying a single Self appearing as many.

What Yoga or Meditative practices are highlighted here?

No step-by-step practice is listed, but the epithet yogātmā teaches that the divine ground of the cosmos is intrinsically yogic—i.e., established in inward union and mastery—supporting the Kurma Purana’s broader yoga-shāstra tone (later systematized in Ishvara Gita contexts).

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

By identifying the same divine principle as both Vaiṣṇava (Śeṣa/Mādhava/Nārasiṁha) and Rudra (Kālāgnirudra), it frames Śiva and Viṣṇu as complementary aspects of one Supreme—typical of the Kurma Purana’s Shaiva–Vaishnava synthesis.