Kurma Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 88

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

Devanagari script

सर्गस्थित्यन्तकरणी सुदुर्वाच्या दुरत्यया / शब्दयोनिः शब्दमयी नादाख्या नादविग्रहा

Transliteration

sargasthityantakaraṇī sudurvācyā duratyayā / śabdayoniḥ śabdamayī nādākhyā nādavigrahā

Translation

അവൾ സൃഷ്ടി-സ്ഥിതി-ലയം നടത്തിക്കുന്ന ശക്തി—അത്യന്തം ദുർവചനീയവും അതിക്രമിക്കാനസാധ്യവും. അവൾ ശബ്ദയോനി, ശബ്ദമയി; ‘നാദ’ എന്ന പേരിൽ പ്രസിദ്ധയും നാദവിഗ്രഹയുമാണ്.

Word by Word

• सर्ग-स्थिति-अन्त-करणी: the doer of creation, maintenance, and dissolution
• सर्ग-स्थिति-अन्त-करणी: विशेषण (Adjectival qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्ग (प्रातिपदिक) + स्थिति (प्रातिपदिक) + अन्त (प्रातिपदिक) + करणी (प्रातिपदिक; √कृ धातु-निष्पन्न)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; समाहार-द्वन्द्वपूर्वक-तत्पुरुषभावः: (सर्गं च स्थितिं च अन्तं च करोति इति) — feminine nominative singular adjective

• सु-दुर्-वाच्या: very difficult to express in words
• सु-दुर्-वाच्या: विशेषण (Adjectival qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + दुर् (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + वाच्य (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक; √वच् धातु)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘वाच्य’ = तव्यत्/ण्यत्-अर्थे (to be spoken/expressed) कृदन्त; कर्मधारयः; ‘सु’ = अत्यर्थ-प्रयोगः — feminine nominative singular

• दुर्-अत्यया: hard to cross/overcome
• दुर्-अत्यया: विशेषण (Adjectival qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुर् (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + अत्यय (प्रातिपदिक; √इ धातु ‘अति+इ’/अत्यय)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्मधारयः — feminine nominative singular adjective

• शब्द-योनिः: source/womb of sound
• शब्द-योनिः: कर्ता (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शब्द (प्रातिपदिक) + योनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (शब्दस्य योनिḥ) — feminine nominative singular

• शब्द-मयी: consisting of sound
• शब्द-मयी: विशेषण (Adjectival qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शब्द (प्रातिपदिक) + मय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (शब्देन मयी/शब्दमयी) — feminine nominative singular adjective

• नाद-आख्या: named ‘Nāda’
• नाद-आख्या: विशेषण (Adjectival qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नाद (प्रातिपदिक) + आख्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (नाद इति आख्या यस्याः) — feminine nominative singular adjective

• नाद-विग्रहा: having sound as form; embodied as nāda
• नाद-विग्रहा: विशेषण (Adjectival qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नाद (प्रातिपदिक) + विग्रह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (नादः विग्रहः/स्वरूपं यस्याः) — feminine nominative singular adjective

Speaker

Lord Kurma (Vishnu) teaching in the Ishvara Gita context

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Characters & Entities

• Kurma
• Ishvara Gita
• Nada
• Shabda

More Details (4 sections)

FAQs

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

It points to the Supreme as the transcendent power behind creation–maintenance–dissolution, yet also immanent as Śabda/Nāda—suggesting Brahman/Īśvara is realized through inner sound (nāda) and mantra (śabda) while remaining beyond speech and conceptual grasp.

What Yoga or Meditative practices are highlighted here?

The verse supports nādānusandhāna (meditation on inner resonance) and mantra-oriented contemplation: turning awareness from gross speech to subtle sound, using śabda as a doorway to the formless reality—an approach aligned with the Kurma Purana’s Ishvara Gita and Pashupata-leaning yoga vocabulary.

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

By teaching the Supreme through Śabda/Nāda and cosmic functions, it frames divinity as one transcendent Īśvara expressed through different theological languages—supporting the Kurma Purana’s non-sectarian Shaiva–Vaishnava synthesis rather than a strict separation.