Kurma Purana — Uttara Bhaga, Shloka 159

Devadāru (Dāruvana) Forest: The Delusion of Ritual Pride, the Liṅga Crisis, and the Teaching of Jñāna–Pāśupata Yoga

Devanagari script

इयं हि सा जगतो योनिरेका सर्वात्मिका सर्वनियामिका च / माहेश्वरीशक्तिरनादिसिद्धा व्योमाभिधाना दिवि राजतीव

Transliteration

iyaṃ hi sā jagato yonirekā sarvātmikā sarvaniyāmikā ca / māheśvarīśaktiranādisiddhā vyomābhidhānā divi rājatīva

Translation

Dialah satu-satunya rahim alam semesta—Ātman bagi semua dan pengatur segala. Inilah Śakti Mahēśvarī yang tanpa awal dan senantiasa mapan, dikenal sebagai “Vyomā”, bersinar di langit laksana bertakhta dengan wibawa.

Word by Word

• इयम्: this (she)
• इयम्: कर्ता (Karta/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (F), प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular); सर्वनाम

• हि: indeed
• हि: सम्बन्ध (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; निश्चय/हेतौ (indeed/for)

• सा: that (same)
• सा: कर्ता (Karta/Subject; apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (F), प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular); सर्वनाम

• जगतः: of the world
• जगतः: सम्बन्ध (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जगत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग (N), षष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन (Singular)

• योनिः: womb/source
• योनिः: कर्ता (Karta/Subject; predicate)
• Type: Noun
• Root: योनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (F), प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular)

• एका: one/unique
• एका: विशेषण (Adjectival modifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (F), प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular); योनिः इति विशेषण

• सर्व-आत्मिका: all-souled; pervading all
• सर्व-आत्मिका: विशेषण (Adjectival modifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (F), प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular); तत्पुरुष (having all as self)

• सर्व-नियामिका: controller of all
• सर्व-नियामिका: विशेषण (Adjectival modifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + नियामक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (F), प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular); तत्पुरुष (controller of all)

• च: and
• च: समुच्चय (Coordinator)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय (conjunction)

• माहेश्वरी-शक्तिः: the Māheśvarī power (Śiva’s energy)
• माहेश्वरी-शक्तिः: कर्ता (Karta/Subject; apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: माहेश्वरी (प्रातिपदिक) + शक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (F), प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular); कर्मधारय (the power that is Māheśvarī)

• अनादि-सिद्धा: beginningless and established/perfected
• अनादि-सिद्धा: विशेषण (Adjectival modifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनादि (प्रातिपदिक) + सिद्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (F), प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular); कर्मधारय

• व्योम-अभिधाना: named ‘Vyoma’
• व्योम-अभिधाना: विशेषण (Adjectival modifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: व्योमन् (प्रातिपदिक) + अभिधान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (F), प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन (Singular); तत्पुरुष (named ‘Vyo ma’)

• दिवि: in heaven
• दिवि: अधिकरण (Adhikaraṇa/Locative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिव् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (F), सप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन (Singular)

• राजति: shines/reigns
• राजति: क्रिया (Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: राज् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन (Singular)

• इव: as if/like
• इव: उपमान (Simile marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उपमा-वाचक (comparative particle)

Speaker

Lord Kurma (Vishnu) expounding Śakti-tattva in a Shaiva-Vaishnava synthesis context

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Characters & Entities

• Maheshvari Shakti
• Maheśvara (Shiva)
• Vyomā (Space/Heaven)

More Details (4 sections)

FAQs

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

It portrays the Divine Power as sarvātmikā—immanent as the inner Self of all beings—while also being sarva-niyāmikā, the transcendent governor who orders the cosmos.

What Yoga or Meditative practices are highlighted here?

The verse supports contemplative Yoga focused on recognizing the all-pervading Śakti as both inner presence (ātma-bhāva) and cosmic regulator (niyantṛ-bhāva), aligning devotion and discernment central to Kurma Purana’s Pāśupata-oriented spirituality.

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

By praising Māheśvarī Śakti within a discourse attributed to Lord Kūrma (Viṣṇu), it reflects the Purana’s non-sectarian synthesis: the same supreme reality is honored through Śiva’s Śakti while taught by Viṣṇu as universal truth.