Shloka 1

The True Liṅga as Formless Brahman — Self-Luminous Īśa and the Yoga of Liberation

Devanagari script

इति श्रीकूर्मपाराणे षट्साहस्त्र्यां संहितायामुपरिविभागे (ईश्वरगीतासु) नवमो ऽध्यायः ईश्वर उवाच अलिङ्गमेकमव्यक्तं लिङ्गं ब्रह्मेति निश्चितम् / स्वयञ्ज्योतिः परं तत्त्वं परे व्योम्नि व्यवस्थितम्

Transliteration

iti śrīkūrmapārāṇe ṣaṭsāhastryāṃ saṃhitāyāmuparivibhāge (īśvaragītāsu) navamo 'dhyāyaḥ īśvara uvāca aliṅgamekamavyaktaṃ liṅgaṃ brahmeti niścitam / svayañjyotiḥ paraṃ tattvaṃ pare vyomni vyavasthitam

Translation

ഇതി ശ്രീകൂർമപുരാണത്തിലെ ഷട്സാഹസ്രീ സംഹിതയുടെ ഉപരിവിഭാഗത്തിൽ ഈശ്വരഗീതയിൽ നവമ അധ്യായം സമാപ്തം. ഈശ്വരൻ അരുളിച്ചെയ്തു—ഏകമായ നിർലിംഗവും അവ്യക്തവുമായ തത്ത്വം തന്നെയാണ് യഥാർത്ഥ ‘ലിംഗം’; അത് നിശ്ചയമായി ബ്രഹ്മം. അത് സ്വയംജ്യോതി പരതത്ത്വം, പരവ്യോമത്തിൽ (പരമ ചിദാകാശത്തിൽ) സ്ഥാപിതം.

Word by Word

• iti: thus
• iti: Sambandha/Quotation marker (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya (अव्यय), quotative/section marker

• śrīkūrmapurāṇe: in the Śrī Kūrma Purāṇa
• śrīkūrmapurāṇe: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śrī + kūrma + purāṇa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Locative (सप्तमी/7), Singular (एकवचन); tatpuruṣa: ‘in the Śrī-Kūrma-Purāṇa’

• ṣaṭsāhastryām: in the six-thousand (collection)
• ṣaṭsāhastryām: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ṣaṭ + sāhasrī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Locative (सप्तमी/7), Singular (एकवचन); dvigu: ‘in the (collection) of six thousand (verses)’

• saṃhitāyām: in the saṃhitā
• saṃhitāyām: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: saṃhitā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Locative (सप्तमी/7), Singular (एकवचन)

• uparivibhāge: in the upper section
• uparivibhāge: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: upari + vibhāga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Locative (सप्तमी/7), Singular (एकवचन); tatpuruṣa: ‘in the upper division/section’

• īśvaragītāsu: in the Īśvara-gītās
• īśvaragītāsu: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: īśvara + gītā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Locative (सप्तमी/7), Plural (बहुवचन); tatpuruṣa: ‘in the Īśvara-gītās’

• navamaḥ: ninth
• navamaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: navama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन); agrees with adhyāyaḥ

• adhyāyaḥ: chapter
• adhyāyaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: adhyāya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन)

• īśvaraḥ: the Lord
• īśvaraḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: īśvara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन)

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vac (धातु)
• Form: Liṭ-lakāra (लिट्, perfect), Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन)

• aliṅgam: without mark/attribute
• aliṅgam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: a- + liṅga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Nominative/Accusative (प्रथमा/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन)

• ekam: one
• ekam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: eka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Nominative/Accusative, Singular (एकवचन)

• avyaktam: unmanifest
• avyaktam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: a- + vyakta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Nominative/Accusative, Singular (एकवचन)

• liṅgam: mark/attribute
• liṅgam: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: liṅga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Nominative/Accusative (प्रथमा/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन)

• brahma: Brahman
• brahma: Pratipādya (प्रातिपाद्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: brahman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Nominative/Accusative, Singular (एकवचन)

• iti: as/that
• iti: Sambandha/Quotation marker (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya (अव्यय), quotative particle

• niścitam: ascertained
• niścitam: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ni-√ci (धातु)
• Form: Past passive participle (क्त), Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Nominative/Accusative, Singular; predicative: ‘is ascertained/decided’

• svayañjyotiḥ: self-luminous light
• svayañjyotiḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: svayam + jyotis (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन); karmadhāraya: ‘self’ + ‘light’

• param: supreme
• param: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: para (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Nominative/Accusative, Singular; agrees with tattvam

• tattvam: principle/reality
• tattvam: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tattva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Nominative/Accusative, Singular (एकवचन)

• pare: in the supreme
• pare: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: para (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Locative (सप्तमी/7), Singular (एकवचन); agrees with vyomni

• vyomni: in the sky/space
• vyomni: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vyoman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Locative (सप्तमी/7), Singular (एकवचन)

• vyavasthitam: established/situated
• vyavasthitam: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vi-ava-√sthā (धातु)
• Form: Past passive participle (क्त), Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Nominative/Accusative, Singular; predicative: ‘situated/established’

Speaker

Īśvara (Lord Kūrma/Vishnu speaking in the Īśvara-gītā)

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Characters & Entities

• Īśvara
• Brahman
• Liṅga (as the formless Absolute)
• Paravyoma (highest expanse)

More Details (4 sections)

FAQs

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

It identifies the Supreme as one, formless, unmanifest, and self-luminous—Brahman itself—indicating that the highest Self is beyond external marks and is known as pure, limitless reality.

What Yoga or Meditative practices are highlighted here?

The verse frames meditation toward the nirliṅga (formless) Brahman—supporting inner contemplations used in Pāśupata-oriented discipline where the seeker transcends external symbols and rests awareness in the self-luminous Supreme.

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

By redefining “liṅga” as the formless Brahman (not merely a sectarian emblem), it presents a non-dual theological ground where Shaiva language and Vaishnava revelation converge in the single Supreme Reality.