Kurma Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 12

Bāṇa’s Śiva-bhakti and the Genealogy of Kaśyapa’s Descendants

Manvantara Lineages

Devanagari script

गास्तथा जनयामास सुरभिर्महिषीस्तथा / इरा वृक्षलतावल्लीस्तृणजातीश्च सर्वशः

Transliteration

gāstathā janayāmāsa surabhirmahiṣīstathā / irā vṛkṣalatāvallīstṛṇajātīśca sarvaśaḥ

Translation

同じくスラビーは牛たちを、また水牛の雌牛をも生み、イラーはあらゆる形で樹木・蔓・つる草・あらゆる草類を生じさせた。

Word by Word

• गाः: cows
• गाः: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: go (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (f.), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative, 2nd), बहुवचन (Plural)

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb)

• जनयामास: gave birth to
• जनयामास: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: jan (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन (Singular), परस्मैपद (Parasmaipada)

• सुरभिः: Surabhi (name)
• सुरभिः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: surabhi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (f.), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative, 1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• महिषीः: buffalo-cows / female buffaloes
• महिषीः: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahiṣī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (f.), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative, 2nd), बहुवचन (Plural)

• तथा: also / likewise
• तथा: Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tathā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb)

• इरा: Irā (name)
• इरा: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: irā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (f.), प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative, 1st), एकवचन (Singular)

• वृक्षलतावल्लीः: trees, creepers, and vines
• वृक्षलतावल्लीः: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vṛkṣa + latā + vallī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (f.), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative, 2nd), बहुवचन (Plural); समासः—द्वन्द्व (trees, creepers, and vines)

• तृणजातीन्: types of grasses
• तृणजातीन्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tṛṇa + jāti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (f.), द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative, 2nd), बहुवचन (Plural); समासः—तत्पुरुष (kinds of grass)

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• सर्वशः: in every way / all together
• सर्वशः: Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: sarvaśas (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb: distributive/collective)

Speaker

Sūta (narrating the Purāṇic account to the sages, within the Kurma Purana’s creation narrative)

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Characters & Entities

• Surabhi
• Irā

More Details (4 sections)

FAQs

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

Indirectly: it presents the ordered emergence of life-forms and vegetation as part of a governed cosmic process; in the Kurma Purana’s wider theology, such order points to an overseeing principle (Īśvara) beyond the manifest categories.

What Yoga or Meditative practices are highlighted here?

None explicitly in this verse; it belongs to the sarga (creation) section. In the Kurma Purana, such cosmological mapping supports dharmic and yogic life by situating practice within an ordered cosmos sustained by Īśvara.

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

It does not mention them directly; however, the Kurma Purana’s Shaiva–Vaishnava synthesis frames creation as a single sacred order ultimately grounded in the one Īśvara, harmonizing sectarian perspectives across the text.