Kurma Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 87

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

Devanagari script

महाविभूतिर्दुर्धर्षा मूलप्रकृतिसंभवा / अनाद्यनन्तविभवा परार्था पुरुषारणिः

Transliteration

mahāvibhūtirdurdharṣā mūlaprakṛtisaṃbhavā / anādyanantavibhavā parārthā puruṣāraṇiḥ

Translation

അവൾ മഹാവിഭൂതി—അജേയയും അപ്രതിഹതയും, മൂലപ്രകൃതിയിൽ നിന്നു ജനിച്ചവൾ. അനാദിയും അനന്തശക്തിസമ്പന്നയും ആയ അവൾ പരാർത്ഥമായി (പുരുഷനുവേണ്ടി) നിലകൊണ്ട്, പുരുഷപ്രകടനത്തിന്റെ അരണി (മഥനദണ്ഡം) ആകുന്നു.

Word by Word

• महā-विभूतिः: great glory/power
• महā-विभूतिः: कर्ता (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महā (प्रातिपदिक) + विभूति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मधारय-समासः (महती विभूतिः) — feminine nominative singular

• दुर्-धर्षा: hard to overpower/assail
• दुर्-धर्षा: विशेषण (Adjectival qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुर् (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + धर्ष (प्रातिपदिक; √धृष् धातु)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः — feminine nominative singular adjective

• मूल-प्रकृति-संभवा: born from the root Prakṛti
• मूल-प्रकृति-संभवा: विशेषण (Adjectival qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मूल (प्रातिपदिक) + प्रकृति (प्रातिपदिक) + संभव (प्रातिपदिक; √भू धातु ‘सम्+भव’)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (मूलप्रकृतेः संभवा) — feminine nominative singular adjective

• अनादि-अनन्त-विभवा: whose power is beginningless and endless
• अनादि-अनन्त-विभवा: विशेषण (Adjectival qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनादि (प्रातिपदिक) + अनन्त (प्रातिपदिक) + विभव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मधारय-समासः (अनादिश्च अनन्तश्च विभवः यस्याः) — feminine nominative singular adjective

• पर-अर्था: for the sake of others
• पर-अर्था: विशेषण (Adjectival qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (परस्य अर्थः/हितम्) — feminine nominative singular adjective

• पुरुष-अरणिः: the fire-stick of the Puruṣa; means of kindling the spirit
• पुरुष-अरणिः: कर्ता (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरुष (प्रातिपदिक) + अरणि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समासः (पुरुषस्य अरणिः) — feminine nominative singular

Speaker

Lord Kurma (Vishnu) instructing King Indradyumna in the Ishvara Gita

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: vira

Characters & Entities

• Prakriti
• Purusha
• Ishvara (implied)
• Kurma (speaker, implied)

More Details (5 sections)

FAQs

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

By distinguishing Purusha (the conscious principle) from Prakriti’s vast power, the verse implies that the Self is the ‘other’ for whose sake Prakriti functions—unchanging consciousness, while cosmic activity belongs to Prakriti.

What Yoga or Meditative practices are highlighted here?

The verse supports Ishvara Gita-style contemplation used in Pashupata-oriented practice: discriminative insight (viveka) between Purusha and Prakriti, leading to detachment from Prakritic transformations and steady absorption in the witnessing consciousness.

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

In the Kurma Purana’s synthesis, the teaching of Purusha–Prakriti discrimination is shared across Shaiva and Vaishnava frames: the one Lord (spoken here by Kurma/Vishnu) reveals the same liberating knowledge central to Ishvara devotion, often harmonized with Shaiva (Pashupata) terminology.