Shloka 6

Kapālamocana: The Cutting of Brahmā’s Fifth Head, Śiva’s Kāpālika Vow, and Purification in Vārāṇasī

Devanagari script

अहं हि सर्वदेवानां प्रवर्तकनिवर्तकः / न विद्यते चाभ्यधिको मत्तो लोकेषु कश्चन

Transliteration

ahaṃ hi sarvadevānāṃ pravartakanivartakaḥ / na vidyate cābhyadhiko matto lokeṣu kaścana

Translation

मीच सर्व देवांचा प्रवर्तक व निवर्तक आहे; सर्व लोकांत माझ्याहून श्रेष्ठ कोणीही नाही।

Word by Word

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: कर्ता (Karta/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अहम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन, प्रथमा

• हि: indeed
• हि: सम्बन्धसूचक (Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), अव्यय; बलार्थ/हेतौ (emphasis/indeed)

• सर्व-देवानाम्: of all the gods
• सर्व-देवानाम्: सम्बन्ध (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक) + देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय (all + gods), पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (genitive), बहुवचन (plural)

• प्रवर्तक-निवर्तकः: the instigator and restrainer
• प्रवर्तक-निवर्तकः: प्रथमा-सम्बन्ध (Apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्र + वृत् (धातु) → प्रवर्तक (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक) + नि + वृत् (धातु) → निवर्तक (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वन्द्व (copulative), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• न: not
• न: निषेध (Negation)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेध (negation particle)

• विद्यते: exists/is found
• विद्यते: क्रिया (Main verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: विद् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (present), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; भावे प्रयोग (existential ‘is found/exists’)

• च: and
• च: समुच्चय (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय (conjunction)

• अभ्यधिकः: superior
• अभ्यधिकः: प्रथमा-सम्बन्ध (Predicate complement)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अभ्यधिक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण (predicate adjective)

• मत्तः: than me/from me
• मत्तः: अपादान (Apādāna/standard of comparison)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अहम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, उत्तमपुरुष, एकवचन, पञ्चमी (ablative)

• लोकेषु: in the worlds
• लोकेषु: अधिकरण (Adhikaraṇa/Location)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (locative), बहुवचन

• कश्चन: anyone
• कश्चन: कर्ता (Karta/Subject of vidyate)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + चन (अव्यय-प्रत्यय)
• Form: अनिश्चित-प्रश्न/अन्यतर (indefinite pronoun ‘anyone’), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

Speaker

Lord Kurma (Vishnu) as Ishvara, teaching in the Ishvara Gita section

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: raudra

Secondary Rasa: vira

Characters & Entities

• Devas
• Ishvara (Supreme Lord)

More Details (4 sections)

FAQs

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

It presents the Supreme as the unrivaled inner governor—both the one who sets divine functions in motion and the one who withdraws them—implying an Ishvara who transcends yet controls all cosmic agencies.

What Yoga or Meditative practices are highlighted here?

The verse supports Ishvara-centric meditation: yogic focus on the single supreme regulator behind all devatā powers, aligning practice toward surrender (īśvara-praṇidhāna) and steadiness in the Lord as the source of pravṛtti and nivṛtti.

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

By asserting one supreme controller above all devas, it aligns with the Kurma Purana’s non-sectarian synthesis: the highest Ishvara can be contemplated through Shaiva or Vaishnava idioms as the one reality governing all divine forms.