Kurma Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 184

Devī-tattva, Śakti–Śaktimān doctrine, Kāla–Māyā cosmology, and Māheśvara Yoga instruction

Devanagari script

अमृत्युरमृता स्वाहा पुरुहूता पुरुष्टुता / अशोच्या भिन्नविषया हिरण्यरजतप्रिया

Transliteration

amṛtyuramṛtā svāhā puruhūtā puruṣṭutā / aśocyā bhinnaviṣayā hiraṇyarajatapriyā

Translation

നീ അമൃത്യു, അമൃതാ; നീ സ്വാഹാ—യജ്ഞത്തിലെ പവിത്ര ഉച്ചാരം. നീ പുരുഹൂതാ, പുരുഷ്ടുതാ; നീ അശോച്യാ, നിന്റെ വിഷയവ്യാപ്തി ബഹുവിധവും സർവ്വവ്യാപിയും; നീ ഹിരണ്യ-രജതപ്രിയ.

Word by Word

• amṛtyuḥ: deathless
• amṛtyuḥ: Karta (कर्ता/Subject—epithet)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: a- (निषेध/उपसर्ग) + mṛtyu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषणरूपेण (as epithet)

• amṛtā: immortal; nectar-like
• amṛtā: Karta (कर्ता/Subject—epithet)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: a- (निषेध/उपसर्ग) + mṛta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• svāhā: svāhā (ritual exclamation)
• svāhā: Sambodhana/Address (सम्बोधन—invocatory epithet)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: svāhā (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक as mantra-word)
• Form: अव्यय; मन्त्रपद/आह्वान (ritual exclamation)

• puru-hūtā: much-invoked
• puru-hūtā: Karta (कर्ता/Subject—epithet)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: puru (प्रातिपदिक) + hūtā (कृदन्त, √hū ‘to call/invoke’)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुष: ‘पुरु (बहु) हूता’ (much-invoked)

• puru-ṣṭutā: much-praised
• puru-ṣṭutā: Karta (कर्ता/Subject—epithet)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: puru (प्रातिपदिक) + ṣṭutā (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक, √stu ‘to praise’)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुष: ‘पुरु (बहु) स्तुता’

• aśocyā: not to be lamented
• aśocyā: Karta (कर्ता/Subject—epithet)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: a- (निषेध) + śocyā (प्रातिपदिक, from √śuc)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• bhinna-viṣayā: having distinct spheres/objects
• bhinna-viṣayā: Karta (कर्ता/Subject—epithet)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: bhinna (कृदन्त, √bhid) + viṣaya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मधारय: ‘भिन्नः विषयः यस्याः/या’ (having distinct domains/objects)

• hiraṇya-rajata-priyā: fond of gold and silver
• hiraṇya-rajata-priyā: Karta (कर्ता/Subject—epithet)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: hiraṇya (प्रातिपदिक) + rajata (प्रातिपदिक) + priyā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; द्वन्द्व (hiraṇya+rajata) तत्पुरुष-सम्बन्ध: ‘हिरण्यरजतयोः प्रिया’

Speaker

Lord Kurma (Vishnu) as the Supreme Ishvara being praised in the Ishvara Gita context (stuti of the Divine Names)

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Characters & Entities

• Svaha
• Puruhuta

More Details (4 sections)

FAQs

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

By calling the Lord “deathlessness” and “immortal,” the verse points to Ishvara/Atman as beyond decay and grief—an eternal reality not subject to mortality.

What Yoga or Meditative practices are highlighted here?

The verse functions as nāma-smaraṇa (contemplation of divine epithets): repeating and meditating on these names steadies the mind toward the deathless Ishvara, aligning with the Ishvara Gita’s devotional-yogic discipline.

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

In the Ishvara Gita’s synthesis, such divine-name hymns present one Supreme Ishvara with many functions and titles; this supports the Kurma Purana’s non-sectarian view where Shaiva and Vaishnava modes converge in a single ultimate reality.