Kurma Purana — Uttara Bhaga, Shloka 38

Yati-Āśrama: Bhikṣā-vidhi, Īśvara-dhyāna, and Prāyaścitta

Mahādeva as Non-dual Brahman

Devanagari script

यद् ब्रह्म परमं ज्योतिः प्रतिष्ठाक्षरमद्वयम् / यो ऽन्तरात्र परं ब्रह्म स विज्ञेयो महेश्वरः

Transliteration

yad brahma paramaṃ jyotiḥ pratiṣṭhākṣaramadvayam / yo 'ntarātra paraṃ brahma sa vijñeyo maheśvaraḥ

Translation

ພຣະພຣະຫມັນນັ້ນເປັນແສງສູງສຸດ ເປັນຖານຮາກສຸດທ້າຍ ບໍ່ເສື່ອມສະລາຍ ແລະບໍ່ມີສອງ; ຜູ້ທີ່ເປັນອາດມັນພາຍໃນ ແມ່ນພຣະພຣະຫມັນສູງສຸດນັ້ນ—ຄວນຮູ້ຈັກວ່າແມ່ນ ມະເຫສະວະຣະ.

Word by Word

• yat: that which
• yat: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Nominative (1/प्रथमा) Singular (एकवचन); relative pronoun (यत्-शब्द)

• brahma: Brahman
• brahma: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brahman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Nominative (1/प्रथमा) Singular (एकवचन)

• paramam: supreme
• paramam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: parama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Nominative (1/प्रथमा) Singular (एकवचन); adjective qualifying brahma/jyotiḥ

• jyotiḥ: light, radiance
• jyotiḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: jyotis (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Nominative (1/प्रथमा) Singular (एकवचन)

• pratiṣṭhā: foundation, support
• pratiṣṭhā: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pratiṣṭhā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Nominative (1/प्रथमा) Singular (एकवचन); used appositionally

• akṣaram: imperishable
• akṣaram: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: akṣara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Nominative (1/प्रथमा) Singular (एकवचन); adjective (imperishable)

• advayam: non-dual
• advayam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: a-dvaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Nominative (1/प्रथमा) Singular (एकवचन); adjective (non-dual)

• yaḥ: who
• yaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1/प्रथमा) Singular (एकवचन); relative pronoun

• antarātra: within, inwardly
• antarātra: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: antarātra (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Avyaya (अव्यय); adverbial (क्रियाविशेषण) sense: 'within/inside' (contextual)

• paramam: supreme
• paramam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: parama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Accusative (2/द्वितीया) Singular (एकवचन); adjective qualifying brahma

• brahma: Brahman
• brahma: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brahman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Accusative (2/द्वितीया) Singular (एकवचन)

• saḥ: he/that
• saḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1/प्रथमा) Singular (एकवचन); demonstrative pronoun

• vijñeyaḥ: is to be known
• vijñeyaḥ: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vi-√jñā (धातु) + ya (कृत् प्रत्यय)
• Form: Kridanta: future passive participle/gerundive (तव्यत्/य-प्रत्ययार्थक), Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग) Nominative (1/प्रथमा) Singular (एकवचन); predicate adjective: 'to be known'

• maheśvaraḥ: Maheshvara (Great Lord)
• maheśvaraḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā + īśvara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1/प्रथमा) Singular (एकवचन); compound: mahā(=great) + īśvara(=lord)

Speaker

Lord Kurma (Vishnu) teaching in the Ishvara Gita style

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Characters & Entities

• Brahman
• Jyotiḥ (Supreme Light)
• Antarātman (Inner Self)
• Maheshvara

More Details (4 sections)

FAQs

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

It identifies the antarātman (inner Self) with the Supreme Brahman itself—imperishable, non-dual, and self-luminous as the “supreme Light.”

What Yoga or Meditative practices are highlighted here?

The verse implies inward contemplation (antar-dhyāna) on the indwelling Self as Brahman—an Advaita-aligned realization that supports the Kurma Purana’s Yoga teaching where meditation culminates in knowing the one imperishable reality.

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

By calling the non-dual Brahman (the inner Self) “Maheshvara,” the text presents a synthesis where the supreme reality taught by Lord Kurma is not sectarian—Shiva (Maheshvara) is affirmed as that very Brahman.