Shloka 19

Prākṛta Sṛṣṭi and Pralaya: From Pradhāna to Brahmāṇḍa; Trimūrti Samanvaya

Devanagari script

अहङ्कारो ऽबिमानश्च कर्ता मन्ता च स स्मृतः / आत्मा च पुद्गलो जीवो यतः सर्वाः प्रवृत्तयः

Transliteration

ahaṅkāro 'bimānaśca kartā mantā ca sa smṛtaḥ / ātmā ca pudgalo jīvo yataḥ sarvāḥ pravṛttayaḥ

Translation

ອະຫັງກາຣະ (ຄວາມຮູ້ສຶກວ່າ «ຂ້ອຍ») ແລະ ອະພິມານະ (ການຍຶດຖືວ່າ «ຂອງຂ້ອຍ») ຖືກຈື່ຈຳວ່າ ເປັນຫຼັກການທີ່ເຫັນຕົນເປັນຜູ້ກະທຳ ແລະຜູ້ຄິດ. ມັນຍັງເອີ້ນວ່າ ອາດມາ, ພຸດກະລະ, ຊີວະ ເຊິ່ງຈາກມັນ ການກະທຳທັງປວງເກີດຂຶ້ນ.

Word by Word

• अहङ्कारः: ego-sense
• अहङ्कारः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अहङ्कार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (Nominative), एकवचन; समासः अहम्+कारः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः)

• अभिमानः: self-conceit
• अभिमानः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अभिमान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• कर्त्ता: doer
• कर्त्ता: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृ (धातु) + तृच् (प्रत्यय) → कर्तृ (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कृदन्तः—तृच्-प्रत्ययान्त (agent noun)

• मन्ता: thinker
• मन्ता: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन् (धातु) + तृच् (प्रत्यय) → मन्तृ (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कृदन्तः—तृच्-प्रत्ययान्त (agent noun)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

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

• स्मृतः: is called/remembered
• स्मृतः: Karma (कर्म/Predicate complement)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्मृ (धातु) + क्त (प्रत्यय) → स्मृत (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि कृदन्त (past passive participle); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; (अस्ति) इति अध्याहारः—‘is called/remembered’

• आत्मा: self
• आत्मा: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• पुद्गलः: individual person/aggregate
• पुद्गलः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुद्गल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• जीवः: living being
• जीवः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: जीव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• यतः: from which
• यतः: Apadana (अपादान/Source)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यतस् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; हेत्वर्थक/यत्-प्रत्ययान्त (from which/because)

• सर्वाः: all
• सर्वाः: Visheshana (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; विशेषणम्

• प्रवृत्तयः: activities/operations
• प्रवृत्तयः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रवृत्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

Speaker

Lord Kūrma (Vishnu) instructing King Indradyumna (didactic narration)

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Characters & Entities

• Kūrma (Vishnu)
• jīva
• ātmā
• ahaṅkāra

More Details (3 sections)

FAQs

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

This verse focuses on the individuated self-sense: the ‘I-maker’ (ahaṅkāra) that claims doership and thinkership and is therefore spoken of as ‘ātmā/jīva’ in worldly operation. It implies that bondage begins when the Self is misconstrued as the egoic agent from which all pravṛttis proceed.

What Yoga or Meditative practices are highlighted here?

The verse supports Yoga’s core discipline of witnessing: separating the seer (draṣṭā) from egoic doership. In practice, meditation and discrimination (viveka) target ahaṅkāra and abhimāna—reducing identification—so actions cease to be owned as ‘I do’ and ‘mine’.

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

While not naming Śiva directly, the teaching aligns with the Kurma Purana’s Shaiva–Vaishnava synthesis: the Lord (here Kūrma/Vishnu) teaches a liberation method compatible with Pāśupata-leaning renunciation of egoic agency—an approach shared across Śaiva and Vaiṣṇava yogic metaphysics in this Purana.