Shloka 7

Iśvara on Māyā, the Unmanifest, and the Viśvarūpa of the One Supreme

Devanagari script

अनन्ता शक्तयो ऽव्यक्ते मायाद्याः संस्थिता ध्रुवाः / तस्मिन् दिवि स्थितं नित्यमव्यक्तं भाति केवलम्

Transliteration

anantā śaktayo 'vyakte māyādyāḥ saṃsthitā dhruvāḥ / tasmin divi sthitaṃ nityamavyaktaṃ bhāti kevalam

Translation

അവ്യക്തത്തിൽ മായ മുതലായ അനന്ത ശക്തികൾ ധ്രുവമായി സ്ഥാപിതമാണ്. ആ പരമ ദിവ്യധാമത്തിൽ നിത്യം അവ്യക്തം മാത്രം പ്രകാശിക്കുന്നു.

Word by Word

• anantāḥ: endless, innumerable
• anantāḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ananta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine/Feminine, Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Plural (बहुवचन); adjective qualifying śaktayaḥ

• śaktayaḥ: powers, energies
• śaktayaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śakti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Plural (बहुवचन)

• avyakte: in the Unmanifest
• avyakte: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: avyakta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Locative (सप्तमी/7), Singular (एकवचन)

• māyā-ādyāḥ: beginning with māyā, etc.
• māyā-ādyāḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: māyā (प्रातिपदिक) + ādi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Plural (बहुवचन); māyā-ādi = 'beginning with māyā'

• saṃsthitāḥ: established, situated
• saṃsthitāḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sam-√sthā (धाातु) + kta (कृत् प्रत्यय)
• Form: Past passive participle (क्त/PPP); Feminine, Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Plural (बहुवचन); agreeing with śaktayaḥ

• dhruvāḥ: steady, fixed
• dhruvāḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dhruva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Plural (बहुवचन); agreeing with śaktayaḥ

• tasmin: in that (therein)
• tasmin: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter/Masculine, Locative (सप्तमी/7), Singular (एकवचन)

• divi: in heaven, in the sky
• divi: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: div (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Locative (सप्तमी/7), Singular (एकवचन)

• sthitam: situated, abiding
• sthitam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: √sthā (धातु) + kta (कृत् प्रत्यय)
• Form: Past passive participle (क्त/PPP); Neuter, Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन); qualifying avyaktam

• nityam: always, eternally
• nityam: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: nitya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Avyaya (अव्यय) used as adverb

• avyaktam: the Unmanifest
• avyaktam: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: avyakta (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative (प्रथमा/1), Singular (एकवचन)

• bhāti: shines, appears
• bhāti: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √bhā (धातु)
• Form: Laṭ-lakāra (लट्/Present), Parasmaipada (परस्मैपद), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन)

• kevalam: only, solely
• kevalam: Kriyā-viśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kevala (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Avyaya (अव्यय) used as adverb

Speaker

Lord Kūrma (Vishnu) teaching within the Ishvara Gītā discourse

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Characters & Entities

• Avyakta
• Māyā
• Śakti

More Details (4 sections)

FAQs

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

It presents the ultimate reality as the Avyakta—beyond speech and form—within which all powers (śaktis) such as Māyā abide, while the Unmanifest alone remains self-luminous and eternal.

What Yoga or Meditative practices are highlighted here?

The verse supports inward Pāśupata-style contemplation: withdrawing attention from changing manifestations and meditating on the self-shining Unmanifest (avyakta) as the stable ground of all śaktis.

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

By teaching a single Unmanifest reality that transcends names and forms, it aligns with the Kurma Purana’s non-sectarian synthesis: the supreme principle praised as Īśvara can be realized beyond the Shiva–Vishnu distinction.