Shloka 15

Prākṛta-pralaya, Pratisarga Doctrine, and the Ishvara-Samanvaya of Yoga and Devotion

Devanagari script

स वारितत्त्वं सगुणं ग्रसते हव्यवाहनः / तेजस्तु गुणसंयुक्तं वायौ संयाति संक्षयम्

Transliteration

sa vāritattvaṃ saguṇaṃ grasate havyavāhanaḥ / tejastu guṇasaṃyuktaṃ vāyau saṃyāti saṃkṣayam

Translation

ಆಗ ಹವ್ಯವಾಹನ ಅಗ್ನಿ ಜಲತತ್ತ್ವವನ್ನು ಅದರ ಗುಣಗಳೊಡನೆ ಗ್ರಸಿಸುತ್ತದೆ; ಅಗ್ನಿಯ ತೇಜಸ್ಸೂ ಗುಣಸಂಯುಕ್ತವಾಗಿ ವಾಯುವಿನಲ್ಲಿ ಲೀನವಾಗಿ ಕ್ಷಯ (ಪ್ರಳಯ)ವನ್ನು ಸೇರುತ್ತದೆ।

Word by Word

• सः: he/that (one)
• सः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/कर्ता), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• वारि-तत्त्वम्: the water-principle
• वारि-तत्त्वम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वारि (प्रातिपदिक) + तत्त्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/कर्म), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (वारिणः तत्त्वम्)

• स-गुणम्: endowed with qualities
• स-गुणम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स (अव्यय/उपसर्गार्थ) + गुण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः ‘गुणैः सह’ (possessing qualities) विशेषणम् वारितत्त्वम्

• ग्रसते: devours/absorbs
• ग्रसते: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ग्रस् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• हव्य-वाहनः: the carrier of oblations (Agni)
• हव्य-वाहनः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हव्य (प्रातिपदिक) + वाहन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/कर्ता), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (हव्यस्य वाहनः)

• तेजः: fire/energy, radiance
• तेजः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तेजस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative/कर्ता), एकवचन (रूपं प्रथमा/द्वितीया एकवचन समानम्)

• तु: but
• तु: Discourse connective (निपातार्थ)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (contrastive particle)

• गुण-संयुक्तम्: associated with qualities
• गुण-संयुक्तम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गुण (प्रातिपदिक) + संयुक्त (सम्-युज् धातु, क्त कृदन्त)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन; तृतीया/षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषार्थः ‘गुणैः संयुक्तम्’ विशेषणम् तेजः

• वायौ: in/into the wind
• वायौ: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वायु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (Locative/अधिकरण), एकवचन

• संयाति: goes/merges
• संयाति: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-या (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; उपसर्ग: सम्

• संक्षयम्: to destruction/dissolution
• संक्षयम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: संक्षय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया-विभक्ति (Accusative/कर्म), एकवचन

Speaker

Narratorial exposition within the Purāṇic teaching (elemental dissolution section; traditionally delivered as part of the sage-to-sage narration framework of the Kurma Purana)

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Characters & Entities

• Havyavahana (Agni)
• Vāri-tattva (Water element)
• Tejas (Fire element)
• Vāyu (Wind element)
• Guṇa (qualities)

More Details (4 sections)

FAQs

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

By describing how even the subtle elements (water, fire, wind) and their guṇas are re-absorbed, the verse implies that the true Self is not any element or quality; it is the witness beyond guṇa and tattva, untouched by dissolution.

What Yoga or Meditative practices are highlighted here?

The verse aligns with bhūta-saṃhāra (inner re-absorption of elements) used in Śaiva-Pāśupata and allied yogic contemplations: the practitioner mentally dissolves gross into subtle—water into fire, fire into wind—moving toward guṇa-transcendence and steadiness in the inner witness.

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

Though Shiva and Vishnu are not named here, the teaching reflects the Kurma Purana’s shared metaphysical ground: one supreme reality teaches a common yogic-cosmological process where all tattvas and guṇas return to their source, supporting a non-sectarian (Śaiva–Vaiṣṇava) synthesis.