Shloka 59

Devanagari script

धर्मेण धार्यते सर्वं जगत् स्थावरजङ्गमम् / अनादिनिधना शक्तिः सैषा ब्राह्मी द्विजोत्तमाः

Transliteration

dharmeṇa dhāryate sarvaṃ jagat sthāvarajaṅgamam / anādinidhanā śaktiḥ saiṣā brāhmī dvijottamāḥ

Translation

ಧರ್ಮದಿಂದಲೇ ಸ್ಥಾವರ-ಜಂಗಮ ಸಮಸ್ತ ಜಗತ್ತು ಧಾರಿತವಾಗಿರುತ್ತದೆ. ಈ ಶಕ್ತಿ ಅನಾದಿ ಮತ್ತು ಅನಂತ; ಓ ದ್ವಿಜೋತ್ತಮ, ಇದೇ ಬ್ರಾಹ್ಮೀ ಶಕ್ತಿ.

Word by Word

• धर्मेण: by dharma
• धर्मेण: करण (Karaṇa/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; करण (instrument)

• धार्यते: is sustained/borne
• धार्यते: क्रिया (Passive predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: धृ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), कर्मणि प्रयोग (passive), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• सर्वम्: all
• सर्वम्: कर्ता (Karta/Subject in passive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• जगत्: the world
• जगत्: कर्ता (Appositional subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जगत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; सर्वम्-इति विशेष्य

• स्थावर-जङ्गमम्: (consisting of) immobile and mobile beings
• स्थावर-जङ्गमम्: विशेषण (Adjective of जगत्)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्थावर (प्रातिपदिक) + जङ्गम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समास: द्वन्द्व (स्थावरं च जङ्गमं च), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; जगत्-विशेषण

• अनादि-निधना: beginningless and endless
• अनादि-निधना: विशेषण (Adjective of subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनादि (प्रातिपदिक) + निधन (प्रातिपदिक) + अ (नञ्/अ-प्रत्यय)
• Form: समास: कर्मधारय (अनादिः च निधना च), स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; शक्तिः-विशेषण

• शक्तिः: power
• शक्तिः: कर्ता (Karta/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शक्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• सा: that (she)
• सा: कर्ता (Subject apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• एषा: this (she)
• एषा: कर्ता (Deictic apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• ब्राह्मी: Brahmic/pertaining to Brahman
• ब्राह्मी: विशेषण (Adjective of शक्ति)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ब्राह्मी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; शक्तेः विशेषण

• द्विजोत्तमाः: O best of the twice-born
• द्विजोत्तमाः: सम्बोधन (Sambodhana/Vocative address)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक) + उत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: समास: तत्पुरुष (द्विजानाम् उत्तमाः), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; सम्बोधनार्थे प्रथमा (vocative sense)

Speaker

Lord Kurma (Vishnu) speaking to the sages (addressing a dvijottama)

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Characters & Entities

• Dharma
• Brahmī Śakti
• Jagat (moving and unmoving beings)

More Details (3 sections)

FAQs

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

It presents Dharma as an eternal sustaining principle—anādi and nidhanā—functioning as Brahmī Śakti; this implies a transcendent ground (Brahman/Īśvara) whose power maintains the cosmos, with Dharma as its operative expression in the world.

What Yoga or Meditative practices are highlighted here?

No single technique is named here; instead, it supplies the doctrinal basis for Yoga: aligning one’s conduct and inner discipline with Dharma—the sustaining cosmic order—so that practice becomes harmonized with Īśvara’s śakti rather than driven by egoic impulse.

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

By grounding the universe in an eternal Śakti and Dharma rather than sectarian difference, the verse supports the Kurma Purana’s non-competitive synthesis: the sustaining divine power can be affirmed in both Śaiva (Śakti/Paśupati) and Vaiṣṇava (Nārāyaṇa sustaining jagat) idioms.