Purva Bhaga Adhyaya 51 Shloka 21 - Kurma Purana | French | Vedapath

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Kurma Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 21

Incarnations of Mahādeva in Kali-yuga (Vaivasvata Manvantara) and the Nakulīśa Horizon

Devanagari script

उतथ्यो वामदेवश्च महाकायो महानिलः / वाचश्रवाः सुपीकश्च श्यावाश्वः सपथीश्वरः

Transliteration

utathyo vāmadevaśca mahākāyo mahānilaḥ / vācaśravāḥ supīkaśca śyāvāśvaḥ sapathīśvaraḥ

Translation

Utathya et Vāmadeva; Mahākāya et Mahānila; Vācaśravā et Supīka; Śyāvāśva et Sapathīśvara — ces êtres vénérables sont eux aussi comptés parmi les illustres ṛṣi, sages-voyants de la Loi sacrée.

Word by Word

उतथ्यःUtathya (a sage)

वामदेवःVāmadeva (a sage)

चand

महाकायःMahākāya (great-bodied one)

महानिलःMahānila (great wind; name)

वाचश्रवाःVācaśravā (renowned for speech; name)

सुपीकःSupīka (name)

चand

श्यावाश्वःŚyāvāśva (dark-horsed; name)

सपथीश्वरःSapathīśvara (lord of the path; name)

Speaker

Sūta (traditional Purāṇic narrator) recounting a catalogue of sages within the Kurma Purana’s Purva-bhaga context

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Characters & Entities

Utathya

Vāmadeva

Mahākāya

Mahānila

Vācaśravā

Supīka

Śyāvāśva

Sapathīśvara

FAQs

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

This verse is primarily a catalogue of revered ṛṣis; it does not directly define Ātman, but it supports the Purāṇic method of grounding spiritual teaching in authoritative seer-lineages who transmit knowledge of the Self and dharma.

What Yoga or Meditative practices are highlighted here?

No specific yoga technique is taught in this line; it functions as a name-list. In the Kurma Purana’s wider teaching, such ṛṣi catalogues authenticate later instructions on dharma, devotion, and (in the Upari-bhaga) Pāśupata-oriented yoga and contemplation.

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

Indirectly: by placing the teaching within a shared ṛṣi tradition revered across Śaiva and Vaiṣṇava streams, the Kurma Purana frames its synthesis through common Vedic-Purāṇic authorities rather than sectarian separation.