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Shloka 26

Tāmasa Sarga, the Androgynous Division of Brahmā, and the Lineages of Dharma and Adharma

माया च वेदना चैव मिथुनं त्विदमेतयोः / भयाज्जज्ञे ऽथ वै माया मृत्युं भूतापहारिणम्

māyā ca vedanā caiva mithunaṃ tvidametayoḥ / bhayājjajñe 'tha vai māyā mṛtyuṃ bhūtāpahāriṇam

Māyā dan Vedanā menjadi sepasang pasangan. Lalu dari rasa takut, Māyā melahirkan Mṛtyu—maut, perenggut makhluk hidup.

māyāillusion
māyā:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootmāyā (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग (f.), प्रथमा (Nom. 1), एकवचन
caand
ca:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootca (अव्यय)
Formसमुच्चय (conjunction)
vedanāpain/sensation
vedanā:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootvedanā (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग (f.), प्रथमा (Nom. 1), एकवचन
caand
ca:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootca (अव्यय)
Formसमुच्चय (conjunction)
evaindeed
eva:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rooteva (अव्यय)
Formअवधारण (restrictive particle)
mithunama pair/couple
mithunam:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootmithuna (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग (n.), प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom./Acc. 1/2), एकवचन; अत्र प्रथमा (predicate nominative)
tuindeed/but
tu:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Roottu (अव्यय)
Formनिपात (particle)
idamthis
idam:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootidam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formसर्वनाम (pronoun), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; अत्र प्रथमा
etayoḥof these two
etayoḥ:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
TypeNoun
Rootetad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formसर्वनाम, स्त्रीलिङ्ग, षष्ठी/सप्तमी (Gen./Loc. 6/7), द्विवचन; अत्र षष्ठी
bhayātfrom fear
bhayāt:
Apādāna (अपादान)
TypeNoun
Rootbhaya (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (Abl. 5), एकवचन
jajñewas born
jajñe:
Kriyā (क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootjan (धातु)
Formलिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद
athathen
atha:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootatha (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय (indeclinable), अनन्तरार्थक (then/thereupon)
vaiindeed
vai:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootvai (अव्यय)
Formनिपात (emphasis)
māyāMāyā
māyā:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootmāyā (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन
mṛtyumdeath
mṛtyum:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootmṛtyu (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग (m.), द्वितीया (Acc. 2), एकवचन
bhūta-apahāriṇamstealer of beings (life-taker)
bhūta-apahāriṇam:
Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootbhūta (प्रातिपदिक) + apahārin (प्रातिपदिक)
Formषष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (genitive determinative) ‘भूतानाम् अपहारी’; पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; मृ्त्युम् विशेषणम्

Sūta (narrator) recounting the cosmogonic account to the sages (Naimiṣāraṇya frame)

Primary Rasa: bhayanaka

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

M
Māyā
V
Vedanā
M
Mṛtyu

FAQs

By portraying māyā, pain (vedanā), and death (mṛtyu) as generated principles, the verse implies they belong to the realm of prakṛti and bondage, not to the unborn, deathless Ātman that transcends fear and change.

While not prescribing techniques directly, it supplies the contemplative basis for Yoga: recognizing fear-driven māyā as the root of suffering and death motivates vairāgya (dispassion) and inner discipline—key prerequisites for the Kurma Purana’s later Pāśupata-oriented liberation teachings.

Indirectly, it supports the Purana’s non-sectarian synthesis: death and suffering arise from māyā, whereas liberation is through the one Supreme Lord taught across Shaiva and Vaishnava idioms—Shiva as Pati and Vishnu as Īśvara—both pointing beyond māyā.