Kurma Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 23

Time-Reckoning (Kāla-gaṇanā): Yugas, Manvantaras, Kalpas, and Prākṛta Pralaya

Devanagari script

यो ऽतीतः सप्तमः कल्पः पाद्म इत्युच्यते बुधैः / वाराहो वर्तते कल्पः तस्य वक्ष्यामि विस्तरम्

Transliteration

yo 'tītaḥ saptamaḥ kalpaḥ pādma ityucyate budhaiḥ / vārāho vartate kalpaḥ tasya vakṣyāmi vistaram

Translation

കഴിഞ്ഞുപോയ ഏഴാമത്തെ കല്പത്തെ പണ്ഡിതർ ‘പാദ്മ’ എന്നു വിളിക്കുന്നു. ഇപ്പോൾ ‘വാരാഹ’ കല്പം പ്രവഹിക്കുന്നു; അതിന്റെ വിശദാംശങ്ങൾ ഞാൻ വിപുലമായി പറയും.

Word by Word

• यः: which
• यः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; सम्बन्धवाचक सर्वनाम (relative pronoun)

• अतीतः: past; elapsed
• अतीतः: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अति + इ (धातु)
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘passed/elapsed’

• सप्तमः: seventh
• सप्तमः: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: saptama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; क्रमवाचक (ordinal)

• कल्पः: kalpa
• कल्पः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kalpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• पाद्मः: Pādma (Lotus)
• पाद्मः: Samānādhikaraṇa (समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pādma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण (name of kalpa)

• इति: thus
• इति: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; उद्धरणसूचक (quotative)

• उच्यते: is called
• उच्यते: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), कर्मणि प्रयोग (Passive), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• बुधैः: by the wise
• बुधैः: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: budha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन

• वाराहः: Vārāha (Boar)
• वाराहः: Samānādhikaraṇa (समानाधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vārāha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण (name of kalpa)

• वर्तते: is current; proceeds
• वर्तते: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वृत् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• कल्पः: kalpa
• कल्पः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kalpa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• तस्य: of it
• तस्य: Shashthi-sambandha (षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, षष्ठी, एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• वक्ष्यामि: I will tell
• वक्ष्यामि: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future), परस्मैपद, उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन

• विस्तरम्: in detail; the extent
• विस्तरम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vistara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

Speaker

Sūta (narrator) speaking to the sages (Naimiṣāraṇya frame), introducing the current Kalpa context

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: vira

Characters & Entities

• Pādma Kalpa
• Vārāha Kalpa

More Details (4 sections)

FAQs

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

Indirectly: it situates the teaching within cyclical cosmic time (kalpa), implying that the enduring spiritual principle (Atman/Ishvara) is understood against changing creation-cycles rather than as a product of them.

What Yoga or Meditative practices are highlighted here?

None explicitly in this verse; it functions as a cosmological transition. In the Kurma Purana, such kalpa-framing commonly precedes dharma and yoga teachings (including later Pashupata-oriented instruction) by setting the temporal and cosmic backdrop.

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

Not directly; the verse is cosmological. However, by naming the Vārāha Kalpa (a Vishnu-associated kalpa) within a Purana known for Shaiva–Vaishnava synthesis, it supports a unified puranic worldview where sectarian forms operate within one cosmic order.